Transmission Impossible? Prospects for Decarbonizing the US Grid

Lucas Davis, Catherine Hausman and Nancy Rose

No 31377, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Encouraged by the declining cost of grid-scale renewables, recent analyses conclude that the United States could reach net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 at relatively low cost using currently available technologies. While the cost of renewable generation has declined dramatically, integrating these renewables would require a large expansion in transmission to deliver that power. Already there is growing evidence that the United States has insufficient transmission capacity, and current levels of annual investment are well below what would be required for a renewables-dominated system. We describe a variety of challenges that make it difficult to build new transmission and potential policy responses to mitigate them, as well as possible substitutes for some new transmission capacity.

JEL-codes: L51 L94 Q41 Q48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene, nep-env and nep-reg
Note: EEE
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published as Lucas W. Davis & Catherine Hausman & Nancy L. Rose, 2023. "Transmission Impossible? Prospects for Decarbonizing the US Grid," Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol 37(4), pages 155-180.

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Journal Article: Transmission Impossible? Prospects for Decarbonizing the US Grid (2023)
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