"Business as usual," as defined by DOE's EIA, means that all variables will remain exactly the same as they are today. This is completely unrealistic because change relentlessly marches on and ultimately cannot be denied.
Aside from that, the article incorrectly portrays transmission opposition this way:
"Power line planners are routinely delayed or blocked by communities that don't want the lines running through their towns because of aesthetic or environmental concerns," Otto J. Lynch, vice president of Power Line Systems, which develops and sells software for transmission lines, said.
There's that old "NIMBY" battle-axe again, one of the industry's favorite name-calling propaganda weapons against due process and landowner rights. In reality, many transmission line projects, such as PATH, have been proven unneeded by opposition groups. The ultimate abandonment of these unneeded projects saves consumers millions of dollars in the long run.
Sounds like some investor-owned utilities are wetting their pants over the thought of their transmission incentive profits going bye-bye.