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A conversation about transmission w/ Rob Gramlich and Kathleen Staks

A conversation about transmission w/ Rob Gramlich and Kathleen Staks

Public Power Underground

April 4, 20231h 18m

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Show Notes

Rob, Kathleen, Ahlmahz, and Paul discuss the transmission expansion: it's importance, it's barriers, and it's path forward.

Rob Gramlich, Kathleen Staks, Ahlmahz Negash, PhD, and Paul Dockery discuss transmission policy, planning, and funding in light of the increased need for an interconnected grid due to electrification of end-uses, new generator interconnections, and increasing footprint of extreme weather events.

07:34 - Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office release of a draft National Transmission Needs Study

23:43 - The Quagmire of Transmission Investment and Cost Recovery

  • Rob’s 3 Ps of Transmission Policy Reform
  • Rob’s tweets about the importance of solving the cost allocation quagmire
  • A brilliant quote by Rob on the conundrum of transmission investment in a New York Times article
  • Ahlmahz’s articles (part 1 and part 2) on the Grid as a Public Good

48:26 - Why transmission and market expansion is important to commercial and industrial customers

59:48 - Interconnection queues and solutions for clearing them

  • Prof Jacob Mays hot take about Connect and Manage and how it relates to Resource Adequacy
  • Prof Jesse Jenkins solutioning on #energytwitter

1:09:50 - Ahlmahz’s insightful question of the week

1:15:07 - Kathleen Stak’s Closing Thoughts


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