Grid Lock
The Great Blackout illuminated one thing: a system in chaos
But despite the financial advantage some utilities enjoy in ruling their portions of the grid, many are beginning to feel the pressure of trying to go it alone. In the current system, where decisions are made on a state-by-state basis, it isn't easy to gain approval for new transmission lines that people don't want in their backyards. An underwater transmission line linking New England and Long Island has remained dormant since its installation last year because of Connecticut's objections. (It was brought into service on an emergency basis when the blackout hit.) "People tend to agree we've got to do this, but if it's done where it begins to impact them, there's a resistance that we really have to face," says Jeff Sterba, CEO of PNM Resources of Albuquerque, N.M. PNM is working to upgrade power transmission into Santa Fe for the first time in 20 years. Utilities that want to build power lines would like to see either regional authorities or the feds empowered with backstop authority to site projects, an idea that doesn't exactly go over well with states or environmentalists.
These tough questions are now in the hands of congressional lawmakers, who have been engaged in a contentious debate over federal energy policy for the past two years. The immediate task when they return to session after Labor Day will be reconciling two very different energy bills passed by the House and Senate. President Bush has pledged to work with Congress to pass legislation to address the grid deficiencies, including making mandatory the existing voluntary reliability standards for companies that run the grid. "There ought to be serious consequences," Bush said last week, "if someone misuses the public trust."
But the White House hasn't made a decision on FERC's plan for regional control of the grid; some Senate Republicans want to slap a moratorium on the agency and put off the decision for another day. It's also uncertain whether lawmakers will be able to overcome the familiar stumbling blocks to passage, like drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which Democrats have vowed to defeat. It could be a moment ripe with opportunity for someone like Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry, a prime opponent of ANWR drilling, who has in the past threatened to filibuster any proposal that allows it.
Glenn McCullough, chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the federal power provider and grid operator across seven southern states, says that the blackout could break the logjam. "I believe it can bring diverse interests to the table and result in a sound regulatory agreement that can work for the good of this industry as well as for the American consumer," says McCullough. As the blackout occurred, McCullough said that his control room staff in Chattanooga watched the drop in voltage and ordered the large region's coal, nuclear, and hydroelectric utilities to power down to avoid overloads that would have cascaded further. It underscored the need to work together, because, he says, "we are all interconnected."
Who's the Boss?
North America's electric grid has three parts, but oversight, management, and operation are divided among many.
[Map is not available]
Eastern
109 operators
11 regions
Western
32 operators
5 regions
Texas
1 region
1 operator
[labels]
Canada
United States
Source: North American Electric Reliability Council
Rob Cady--USN&WR
With Carol Flake Chapman, Terence Samuel and Kenneth T. Walsh
advertisement
