Most Americans advocate for a robust national power grid and cheaper, cleaner energy sources
In a significant development, a new survey conducted by Cygnal on behalf of the Conservative Energy Network has revealed that roughly three-quarters of likely voters support expanding the electric grid. The findings were previewed by Chris Lane, a senior partner at Cygnal, at the National Conservative Energy Summit in Cleveland on Aug. 25.
The survey, which was conducted in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Missouri, regions covered by the PJM Interconnection grid and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), indicates that this is not a partisan issue.
The support for grid expansion is particularly important given the current energy landscape. Across the country, wind, solar, and battery storage make up most of the resources waiting to come online, and their 'levelized cost of energy' is cheaper or on par with other electricity sources. However, the rising power demand from data centers, electrification of buildings, and vehicles is contributing to increasing energy costs.
Evelyn Robinson, director of PJM affairs for the renewable-energy industry group MAREC Action, stated that there aren't enough power lines, they're not all in the right places, and the existing ones are outdated to meet the rising power demand for electricity. This sentiment is echoed by the survey results, as nearly 90% of the respondents are concerned about rising energy costs, with a majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents expressing 'very concerned' about this issue.
The PJM region, specifically, has a significant backlog of hundreds of energy projects that have been stalled in the queue for years. The organization that introduced the new interconnection process in 2023 to connect projects blocked in the PJM grid region in the USA is PJM Interconnection. However, the new interconnection process did not resolve the backlog, as of June, PJM still had about 63 gigawatts of power, mostly clean energy, stuck in the 'transition queue.'
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and regional transmission operators need to ensure the grid has room for more electrons, which calls for adding transmission lines. Bringing more electricity generation online, particularly low-cost wind and solar, could potentially lower prices due to supply and demand principles.
However, the Trump administration has been working against grid expansion in recent months, contrary to the survey findings. The need for grid expansion is urgent, not just for economic reasons, but also for the sake of grid reliability. About two-thirds of the surveyed voters are in favor of adding more transmission lines to connect clean energy and strengthen grid reliability.
In conclusion, the survey results highlight the need for grid expansion and the broad support it enjoys among voters. As the energy landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial that the necessary infrastructure is in place to support the transition to cleaner, more affordable energy sources.
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