Study Finds Wind Power Economically, Environmentally Advantageous When Coupled with Grid Improvement

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http://www.brattle.com/NewsEvents/NewsDetail.asp?RecordID=606

3/12/2009

Brattle Study Finds Wind Power Economically, Environmentally Advantageous When Coupled with Grid Improvements

Wind-generated electricity from the upper Midwest will become cost-competitive with power generated from more conventional fuel sources like coal, while providing substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions when connected to the nation’s electricity grid via new extra-high voltage transmission lines, a new study by The Brattle Group has concluded.

The study, “Transmission Super Highway: Benefits of Extra High Voltage Transmission Overlays in the Midwest,” provides some of the most significant evidence to date that renewable resources offer an important and economically-feasible means to respond to escalating energy demands in a carbon-regulated environment with domestic energy sources. The study was commissioned by ITC Holdings Corp.

In testimony on March 12, 2009 before the U.S. Senate and Natural Resources Committee, Joseph L. Welch, chairman, president and CEO of ITC, discussed the study’s findings and urged Congress to facilitate renewable energy by updating the policies that govern America’s power grid. He also stressed the need for new transmission development to enable states to meet renewable portfolio standards (RPS).

The Brattle study shows that wind power from the windiest parts of the country can economically displace fossil-fuel power sources after 2020 under likely climate policies. The current lack of extra high voltage transmission lines through these regions – the upper Midwest states including North and South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota – is a significant barrier to harnessing this valuable resource as a viable energy solution in a carbon-regulated environment. The study concludes that extra-high voltage transmission projects like ITC’s proposed Green Power Express are essential for accessing the nation’s most important renewable energy resources.

More information on the study can be found by following the link below, or by going to ITC’s website at http://www.thegreenpowerexpress.com/white_papers.php.

http://www.brattle.com/_documents/UploadLibrary/Upload746.pdf">Transmission Super Highways ITC Report