Washington D.C. – A prominent Washington D.C. think tank, the Niskanen Center, recently amplified calls for a significant overhaul of the nation's energy infrastructure, advocating for the development of a "macrogrid." The center stated in a recent tweet, > "It's time to build a macrogrid." This push underscores a growing consensus among energy experts and policymakers regarding the necessity of a more robust and interconnected national power system.
A macrogrid refers to a large-scale, high-capacity network of transmission infrastructure designed to connect disparate regions, enabling the efficient transfer of electricity across vast distances. Unlike localized microgrids, a macrogrid functions as an interregional superhighway, routing power around bottlenecks and leveraging diverse energy sources. This expansion is seen as critical for modernizing the aging U.S. electric grid and addressing future energy demands.
Proponents argue that a macrogrid offers substantial benefits, particularly in integrating renewable energy sources like wind from the Midwest and solar from the Southwest into the national grid. By facilitating power sharing across regions, it enhances grid reliability and resilience, especially during extreme weather events, and can significantly reduce electricity costs for consumers. This broader network also lessens the reliance on expensive "peaker" plants, which are typically fossil-fueled and brought online only during periods of peak demand.
However, the development of such an expansive grid faces considerable challenges, including high upfront costs, complex land-use and siting issues (often referred to as NIMBYism), and intricate regulatory hurdles related to interregional planning and cost allocation. Project timelines can be extensive, often spanning years due to permitting and construction complexities. These barriers have historically slowed the expansion of critical transmission infrastructure.
Despite these obstacles, there is increasing momentum and policy action at both federal and state levels to advance interregional transmission. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is actively developing new rules for transmission planning and cost allocation, exemplified by initiatives like Order No. 1920. Concurrently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched programs such as "Building a Better Grid" and the $2.5 billion Transmission Facilitation Program, specifically designed to fund and accelerate the construction of new interregional lines that enhance grid capacity, efficiency, and resilience.
Furthermore, state-level collaborations, such as the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission, are forming strategic action plans to address regional transmission needs and overcome planning gridlock. These concerted efforts, supported by legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, aim to create a more integrated and resilient energy landscape. The Niskanen Center's renewed advocacy highlights the urgency and potential transformative impact of a national macrogrid on the future of U.S. energy security and decarbonization goals.