Recent winter storms have demonstrated the significant economic impacts and potentially deadly consequences for Americans living in regions lacking the capacity to import needed electricity during extreme weather events. In 2021, an additional gigawatt of transmission ties between Texas and the Southeast could have provided lifesaving power to 200,000 Texas homes and saved nearly $1 billion during Winter Storm Uri, which killed an estimated 200 people. Similarly, greater interregional transmission capacity could have helped avoid rolling blackouts across the Southeast when Winter Storm Elliott struck over the holidays in 2022.

The transmission needs demonstrated by these events are supported by dozens of federal, industry, and academic studies, which tout the importance of building new interregional transmission capacity to ensure reliable, affordable power. In response, Congress directed the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) last year to study the existing transfer capability between regions.

Join transmission and regulatory experts for a virtual discussion on NERC’s Interregional Transfer Capability Study and prospects for FERC reforming interregional transmission planning. The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and Americans for a Clean Energy Grid will co-host the webinar.

Moderator:

Elise Caplan, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, ACORE

Panelists:

Allison Clements, Former Commissioner, FERC
Robert Taylor, Vice President, Transmission New Markets, Invenergy
Michael Goggin, Vice President, Grid Strategies
Cy McGeady, Fellow, Energy Security and Climate Change Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies

ACORE Webinar: Addressing the Need for Interregional Transmission