Modernizing America’s electric grid is seen as a critical move for a more secure energy future of the country, so the Obama Administration decided to accelerate the process.
The White House recently announced it would speed up permitting of seven transmission lines as part of an interagency effort to move such projects forward.
The seven pilot projects (in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Wisconsin), are projected to create thousands of jobs and to increase the country’s electric grid capacity.
“The President wants to get America working again. He is committed to cutting red tape and making immediate investments to put people to work modernizing our roads, bridges, airports, and energy systems,” said Nancy Sutley, chair of the Council on Environmental Quality.
Adding the necessary transmission infrastructure will reportedly integrate renewable electricity sources into the grid, accommodate the growing number of electric vehicles on America’s roads, help avoid blackouts, restore power more quickly when outages occur, and reduce the need for new power plants.
“The American Jobs Act would make immediate investments in infrastructure, putting hundreds of thousands of workers back on the job across the country. These investments would not only put people to work now, but also yield lasting benefits for the economy, increasing growth in the long run,” added Sutley.
The seven projects are as follows: Boardman-Hemingway Line powering Oregon and Idaho; Gateway West Project to bring new transmission across Wyoming and Idaho; Hampton-Rochester-La Crosse Line to power to Minnesota and Wisconsin; Oregon to get additional transmission from Cascade Crossing Line; SunZia Transmission, LLC to bring power to New Mexico and Arizona; Susquehanna to Roseland Line brings new transmission to Pennsylvania and New Jersey; Transwest Express to stand-up transmission from Wyoming to Utah and Nevada.
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