Experts
“New developments of wind, solar and eventually nuclear – in addition to developments of more traditional resources – all have a common denominator: they need transmission to reliably integrate them into the grid.”
- David Nevius, senior vice president, North American Electric Reliability Corporation, EnergyBiz Insider, Oct. 26, 2007.
“The nation is currently facing serious near-term problems in adequately delivering electricity to customers…If these challenges are ignored or dismissed, the existing problems will persist and worsen with time, and could result in blackouts.”
- Samuel Bodman, Secretary of Energy for President George W. Bush, in an open letter to House members, June 6, 2007.
“There has been a sustained period of underinvestment in the transmission system. Notwithstanding, use of the nation’s grid has more than doubled in recent years. It is clear that we need to strengthen the system to meet consumer demand… Underinvestment in the grid is a national problem.”
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher, July 2006 FERC news release
“The United States has a first-rate economy. We’re the superpower of the world – the best military, a booming technological economy – but we’ve got a grid that is antiquated, that is Third World, that needs beefing up. We’ve got very weak power transmission lines and generation capacity.”
- Bill Richardson, Secretary of Energy for President Bill Clinton, in a PBS Frontline interview April 10, 2001.
“We hope that people become comfortable with the need and comfortable with the idea that it’s gotta be built. If we don’t build this kind of infrastructure, it’s like neglecting our roads, neglecting our water systems, our sewer systems over time, and we won’t be able to meet the needs of the future.”
- Robert Hinkle, PJM Interconnection spokesman, WV MetroNews, Nov. 28, 2007.
