WHEREAS, A secure, reliable, and resilient power grid integrating generation resources serves as a foundation of a growing economy and is critical to our national security; and
WHEREAS, Regulators, policymakers, and consumers expect generating resources and the grid to perform extremely reliably; and
WHEREAS, A significant portion of the nation's transmission facilities are aged and will require a replacement strategy; and
WHEREAS, Environmental regulations, State renewable energy portfolio standards, State and federal tax policies, other economic factors, and technology developments are causing some electric generation resources to retire, while replacement generation, some of it fueled by intermittent resources, is being sited at other locations on the electric grid; and
WHEREAS, New innovative cost-effective transmission technologies (including, but not limited to, high-capacity/high-efficiency conductors, compact transmission towers, and variable frequency transformers) are commercially available that can increase grid capacity, improve energy transfers, promote greater stability and resiliency, make more efficient use of rights-of-way, reduce transmission line losses, and help to streamline siting and construction activities; and
WHEREAS, New and advanced replacement transmission facilities can be designed to enable a wide variety of new generating resources and can address technical, environmental, and aesthetic issues that might impede or limit the development and operation of these resources; and
WHEREAS, Crowded utility corridors often allow little room for expansion; and
WHEREAS, Some States have established policies that encourage the use of advanced transmission line technologies; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Directors of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), convened at its 2016 Winter Committee Meetings in Washington, D.C., encourages utility efforts to: 1) investigate and consider new advanced transmission technologies when replacing aged transmission infrastructure; 2) evaluate new transmission technologies to determine whether they can cost-effectively ensure the continued reliable delivery of electricity while providing greater capacity and enhanced efficiency; 3) consult with the Department of Energy and its National Laboratories to understand advancing transmission technologies; and 4) consider the ability of these technologies to reduce environmental and visual impacts to communities; and be it further
RESOLVED, That NARUC encourages Regional Transmission Organizations/Independent System Operators and other planning authorities to support and consider cost-effective advanced electric transmission infrastructure options that can increase grid capacity, reduce transmission line losses, improve energy transfers, make efficient use of rights-of-way, improve energy efficiency, and help to streamline siting and construction activities in their planning, evaluation and oversight of transmission grid development; and be it further
RESOLVED, That NARUC encourages State public service commissions to include in their oversight of transmission facilities the consideration of cost-effective use of advanced electric transmission technologies in support of the continued provision of affordable, reliable electricity to consumers.
