US adopts new power line rule to improve electric grid

New York Times : Yesterday the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission unanimously passed a new rule concerning the planning and financing of new power lines to help the nation’s electricity grid meet the demands of renewable energy and a competitive electricity market, writes Matthew Wald for the New York Times. The new rule is intended to encourage cooperation among the various organizations that manage the nation’s electrical grid in order to build power lines across multiple states and electrical jurisdictions. Such cross-jurisdictional transmission lines are becoming increasingly important as states seek to integrate large amounts of wind and solar power, generally available in remote areas, and transport the power to more populated areas. The rule addresses planning and cost allocation, two of the main impediments to new power line construction. Among its general guidelines is the idea that the costs should be covered by those who benefit, although critics charge that assessing who benefits from a new line is difficult.