As the United States pushes forward with its clean energy goals, the challenges to building the needed infrastructure have become increasingly apparent. A recent report from Resources for the Future offers insights into how policy can better address them.
Based on a review of existing research, insights from expert workshops, and advanced energy modeling to analyze obstacles in energy infrastructure development, the report incorporates real-world examples to illustrate key challenges and their potential resolutions.
The report identifies three key hurdles to building clean energy projects and transmission lines needed to hit decarbonization goals: siting and permitting, interconnection to the grid, and transmission development. Each of these comes with its own set of headaches that can delay or derail projects.
Siting and permitting challenges often involve navigating complex local, state, and federal rules. Renewable projects such as wind and solar farms need large areas, but zoning laws, environmental reviews, and local opposition make finding suitable sites difficult. Even with a site, permitting can take years. Interconnection to the grid is another bottleneck, with projects stuck in long queues for approval due to outdated regional policies and sometimes limited grid capacity. Transmission faces high costs, lengthy approvals, and can in some cases face opposition from local communities and power companies.
Topics
The authors say better planning and smart policies are needed to tackle these barriers, as well as more advanced modeling to develop a clear understanding of why they exist. They add that by refining models, policymakers can pinpoint the most effective ways to cut red tape, streamline processes, and build a more efficient clean energy future.
New policies are needed to address the obstacles to energy infrastructure development related to the energy transition. To evaluate these policies, improve their design, and support opportunities for compromise, we need models able to represent the obstacles and the policies to reduce them.
“Modeling Obstacles to Energy Infrastructure for Improved Policy Analysis,” by Molly Robertson, Kevin Rennert, & Karen Palmer, Resources for the Future, September 5, 2024.
Read the report originally published by Resources for the Future on September 5, 2024.
