The Elephant in the Room

Consumer Organizations filed reply comments on FERC's Building for the Future Through Electric Regional Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation and Generator Interconnection proceeding last week.

The Consumers pointed out

... landowners and community groups represented solely by the undersigned Consumer Organizations are the elephant in the room that is ignored by nearly all other commenters.

No matter the new rules implemented through this proceeding, the Commission cannot avoid the elephant. All commenters support their own version of transmission utopia, with very few acknowledging that the transmission the new rules are designed to encourage can be made more expensive, delayed, or perhaps even cancelled, through opposition from affected landowners and communities. No rule made by the Commission can overcome the will of the people to join together to protect their interests against what may be seen as an invasion that jeopardizes their homes, health, heritage, and ability to earn a living.

The "problem" of transmission opposition is being approached incorrectly by numerous other parties to the proceeding.  Instead of curing the reasons that foment opposition, some parties wrongly insist that opposition can be thwarted by devising new ways to force unwanted transmission on affected communities.  It's about power, not compromise or innovation.

Transmission opposition has existed as long as there has been transmission.  It's not going away if transmission builders are given more power over affected communities; in fact, that is the recipe to increase entrenched opposition.  Opposition is motivated and creative and will continue because the alternatives are simply unacceptable.  The more transmission that is proposed, the greater the opposition.

True innovation to build transmission that provides benefit without sacrifice is the only way forward.  Let's hope the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recognizes the solution that is within their grasp.