BY CATHY CASH
The electric grid needs our help. Be it from new industrial complexes, data centers to serve all things AI, more gaming and electrification at home from smart appliances to electric vehicles, today’s intense energy demand requires more power 24/7 than ever before.
Each year, thousands of power lines and poles are destroyed by more extreme weather, from derechos to icy blizzards, that hit outside typical “storm season” timeframes and locales.
To keep up, new transmission equipment must be built, and existing transmission lines must be upgraded with the latest technology to move larger amounts of electricity, improve reliability and withstand Mother Nature. Transmission equipment and lines are essential for moving large amounts of electricity from where it is produced to electric substations, where it is then distributed across communities to consumers.
Building a stronger, more resilient grid
The good news is that electric co-ops are already completing transmission builds and breaking ground on new ones.
Generation and transmission co-ops that deliver wholesale power to your local electric cooperative are doing their part to reinforce regional transmission backbones with stronger poles and power lines. They are also developing projects to reach even the most remote wind, solar, hydro and other low-cost energy resources to power the grid and send electricity where and when consumers need it.
But building new transmission takes a lot of time. Many years, in fact. And that’s not because of the construction itself, but the painstaking process for gaining approvals from state and federal agencies.
“Yet,” said Mary Ann Ralls, senior director and regulatory counsel for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), “Electric co-ops are successfully demonstrating that their proposed facilities are necessary to relieve regional congestion and enhance system reliability.”
The public and owners of property where power lines will be hoisted to serve consumers also have a big say when it comes to siting transmission and allowing projects to go forward.
That’s where electric co-ops’ member relations really shine.
It’s not unusual for co-ops to go well beyond the prescribed number of public hearings on a proposed transmission project and to meet concerned members literally where they are. That includes Rotary Clubs or even one-on-one visits.
Electric co-ops exist to serve their members with safe, affordable and reliable electricity. Their ability to build strong ties with the communities within their service territory can go a long way when critical infrastructure, such as transmission, is needed.
Benefits for members and communities
With members in mind, co-ops seek the most efficient ways to build transmission lines. For example, they upgrade lines in existing property rights-of-way and use the most durable technologies and equipment to keep costs in check and sustain reliability well into the future.
Increased power line capacity will reduce costs associated with transmission congestion, which makes moving energy across the grid particularly expensive. This, in turn, will help keep your monthly bill lower.
When co-ops are able to beef up power lines, economic benefits can be felt in the community, too.
Rural areas with modern, high-voltage transmission are attractive to large job-creating businesses. Local employment and small businesses also experience upticks.
For co-ops, taking on these complex projects comes down to serving their members.
“Electric cooperatives have a long history of serving their members, and that same commitment is driving their work to develop new transmission capacity to meet the nation’s rising electricity demand,” said Patti Metro, NRECA’s senior grid operations and reliability director.
Cathy Cash writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
