Blackout Prevention ... Here's the Cure
April 28, 2010
A very-real threat exists here in Maryland, and the mid-Atlantic in general. It has to do with electricity, and how the current infrastructure handles all of the power we need and use for both residential and commercial purposes.
Electric Advisors' President Russell Lacey is a big proponent of making sure we all have enough electricity for not only today, but the future as well. In a recent letter to the Gazette of Politics and Business, he wrote:
Today, less than 6 percent of Maryland's electricity comes from renewable sources: wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, etc. We have far to go to reach the state's goal that 20 percent of our electricity will come from renewable resources by 2022. Incentives, technical assistance, competitive energy markets and funding will be necessary to encourage the development of diverse renewable sources and make power from them more available to Maryland consumers. But, as these sources are being developed, we must pay equal attention to making sure the electricity produced from them can reach users.
The grid that supplies Maryland's electricity, and all or parts of 12 other states and the District of Columbia, is near capacity and cannot transmit additional energy — from any source — without expansion. Maryland's electricity consumers pay a premium for electricity transmitted through this congested system.
Our grid operator, PJM Interconnection, with authority from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, has called for grid enhancements to be in place by 2014, or Maryland and other energy destinations on the grid will begin to experience power interruptions and possibly blackouts.
The Maryland Public Service Commission is is expected to consider two transmission line projects during the next year. Lacey says these lines will prevent predicted power shortages, only if they're approved and completed on schedule. And with the expected growth in our area, we need to be sure we're ready from an infrastructure standpoint.
You can read his entire letter here. If you want to write to the Maryland Public Service Commission, here's their Web site.
Your guide to Energy Incentives for Maryland is here
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