The Western Interconnection will need about 15,600 additional new line miles of high-voltage transmission at a cost of about $75 billion over the next 20 years to meet the anticipated increase in load growth, according to a report commissioned by Gridworks and GridLab.

The West faces a “pivotal” opportunity to develop a fresh approach to managing its electricity markets, one that could update RTO governance to better accommodate the public policy.

Participants in the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative face a busy meeting schedule this summer as the group’s leaders look to advance on parallel fronts to develop a Western “regional organization.”

Targeted electrification could allow decommissioning of up to 10% of gas mains but is no silver bullet for solving the gas cost challenge, researchers say.  

Developing transmission in the West should involve a long-term, comprehensive plan instead of a localized piecemeal approach, speakers agreed at a Western States Transmission Initiative webinar.

Utilities shared ways to narrow the impact of public safety power shutoffs — and convince customers of the need for them — at the WIEB Wildfire Meeting.