As part of the "energy transition" big green, big government, and the electric industry have been promoting an overwhelming need for new high-voltage electric transmission. The message goes like this: we need more transmission to move electricity from new renewable energy generators (solar and wind) to big cities that "demand" more renewable energy.
That message is pure propaganda.
The "energy transition" is squeezing existing fossil fuel generators financially and many are shutting down. This phenomenon is caused by federal taxpayer-funded subsidies for renewable generators and state/local energy policy that requires your electric company to cut its carbon to zero by a certain date. Government policy has finally been successful in forcing the closure of fossil fuel electric generators. Perhaps this is a good idea, environmentally, but it absolutely doesn't work to keep the lights on.
One of the biggest problems is that new renewable generators are not coming online in time to replace closing fossil fuel generators. Instead, we just have less generation. The liars point to regional interconnection queues to demonstrate that thousands of megawatts of wind and solar are waiting patiently to connect to the grid, and blame grid operators and utilities for holding up their connection. Except this is just another lie. Generators in the queue have not yet been built and may never be. Vast numbers of generators drop out of the queue before constructing anything, even more now that the government has completely hosed up the supply chain.
When big, baseload fossil fuel generators close, there is often nothing in the state or locality to replace them. Regional grid operator PJM Interconnection is struggling to replace over 11,000 MW of closing generation. The continuing closures keep pushing our electric grid further and further to the edge. Closure of the last of Maryland's coal-fired electric generators causes widespread grid impacts that can destabilize the grid and cause power outages. But does Maryland care? Not really. Maryland leaves replacing the retiring generation to PJM and other states. Maryland is an energy parasite. Maryland's energy policies are causing unreliable electricity for everyone in the region.
PJM is also struggling with a 40% increase in electric demand caused by Virginia's out-of-control approval of new data centers. Data centers use incredible amounts of electricity that cannot be satisfied with variable forms of renewable energy like wind and solar. Data centers need 24/7 on-demand electricity, even after dark and on calm days. The capacity factors for renewables are much lower than fossil fuels. While fossil fuel generators can stockpile fuel and be prepared to run when needed, renewable generators only run when nature makes their fuel available. Therefore, you'd need many more renewables than fossil fuel generators to maintain reliable power. The big lie pretends that if we only build transmission to connect everything then some renewable generator, somewhere, will be producing electricity. But it won't be producing enough to replace everything else that isn't producing. Pretending that is so is an unproven fantasy, and one we engage in at our own peril. The cost of new generation and new transmission to connect it all is also going to make electric bills skyrocket. The liars say that renewable generation is cheaper than fossil fuel generation, but they don't tell you that's because of government subsidies, and they also don't add in the cost of all that new transmission needed to connect all the renewables. Unsubsidized remote renewables plus transmission is more expensive than existing fossil fuel generation that relies on existing transmission. Fact.
This whole lie has been spoon fed to a trusting public for years. But what happens when the largest grid planner in the country approves a new transmission expansion plan? Is it connecting renewables to load using new transmission?
NO.
PJM's recently approved transmission plan replaces closing fossil fuel generators, and increases electric supply for new data centers, by connecting these areas with existing fossil fuel generators in other states. This isn't about the "energy transition"; it's going backwards to increase the use of coal and other fossil fuels from states without impossible clean energy goals.
PJM's MidAtlantic Resiliency Link, or MARL, directly connects the data centers in Northern Virginia to over 10,000 MW of coal-fired generation. The MARL will enable the export of electricity produced at Ft. Martin (1,100MW), Harrison (2,000MW), Long View (860 MW), Mitchell (1,600 MW), Cardinal (1,800 MW), Sammis (1,700 MW) and Mt. Storm (1,700 MW). Wind, solar, biomass and hydro in this area add up to less than 10 MW. It is indisputable that the electricity carried by MARL will be overwhelmingly created by burning coal.
When will the environmental groups and people who will use this new supply of dirty power wake up and object? Transmission divorced from its source of power is a giant lie.
While Maryland sits around playing "victim" of its dwindling power supply, Virginia is planning a slew of new legislation supposed to make its data center problem "better." However, none of Virginia's legislation addresses the REAL problem -- the generation of electricity. Virginia's legislators try to pretend that electricity comes from new transmission lines.
That message is pure propaganda.
The "energy transition" is squeezing existing fossil fuel generators financially and many are shutting down. This phenomenon is caused by federal taxpayer-funded subsidies for renewable generators and state/local energy policy that requires your electric company to cut its carbon to zero by a certain date. Government policy has finally been successful in forcing the closure of fossil fuel electric generators. Perhaps this is a good idea, environmentally, but it absolutely doesn't work to keep the lights on.
One of the biggest problems is that new renewable generators are not coming online in time to replace closing fossil fuel generators. Instead, we just have less generation. The liars point to regional interconnection queues to demonstrate that thousands of megawatts of wind and solar are waiting patiently to connect to the grid, and blame grid operators and utilities for holding up their connection. Except this is just another lie. Generators in the queue have not yet been built and may never be. Vast numbers of generators drop out of the queue before constructing anything, even more now that the government has completely hosed up the supply chain.
When big, baseload fossil fuel generators close, there is often nothing in the state or locality to replace them. Regional grid operator PJM Interconnection is struggling to replace over 11,000 MW of closing generation. The continuing closures keep pushing our electric grid further and further to the edge. Closure of the last of Maryland's coal-fired electric generators causes widespread grid impacts that can destabilize the grid and cause power outages. But does Maryland care? Not really. Maryland leaves replacing the retiring generation to PJM and other states. Maryland is an energy parasite. Maryland's energy policies are causing unreliable electricity for everyone in the region.
PJM is also struggling with a 40% increase in electric demand caused by Virginia's out-of-control approval of new data centers. Data centers use incredible amounts of electricity that cannot be satisfied with variable forms of renewable energy like wind and solar. Data centers need 24/7 on-demand electricity, even after dark and on calm days. The capacity factors for renewables are much lower than fossil fuels. While fossil fuel generators can stockpile fuel and be prepared to run when needed, renewable generators only run when nature makes their fuel available. Therefore, you'd need many more renewables than fossil fuel generators to maintain reliable power. The big lie pretends that if we only build transmission to connect everything then some renewable generator, somewhere, will be producing electricity. But it won't be producing enough to replace everything else that isn't producing. Pretending that is so is an unproven fantasy, and one we engage in at our own peril. The cost of new generation and new transmission to connect it all is also going to make electric bills skyrocket. The liars say that renewable generation is cheaper than fossil fuel generation, but they don't tell you that's because of government subsidies, and they also don't add in the cost of all that new transmission needed to connect all the renewables. Unsubsidized remote renewables plus transmission is more expensive than existing fossil fuel generation that relies on existing transmission. Fact.
This whole lie has been spoon fed to a trusting public for years. But what happens when the largest grid planner in the country approves a new transmission expansion plan? Is it connecting renewables to load using new transmission?
NO.
PJM's recently approved transmission plan replaces closing fossil fuel generators, and increases electric supply for new data centers, by connecting these areas with existing fossil fuel generators in other states. This isn't about the "energy transition"; it's going backwards to increase the use of coal and other fossil fuels from states without impossible clean energy goals.
PJM's MidAtlantic Resiliency Link, or MARL, directly connects the data centers in Northern Virginia to over 10,000 MW of coal-fired generation. The MARL will enable the export of electricity produced at Ft. Martin (1,100MW), Harrison (2,000MW), Long View (860 MW), Mitchell (1,600 MW), Cardinal (1,800 MW), Sammis (1,700 MW) and Mt. Storm (1,700 MW). Wind, solar, biomass and hydro in this area add up to less than 10 MW. It is indisputable that the electricity carried by MARL will be overwhelmingly created by burning coal.
When will the environmental groups and people who will use this new supply of dirty power wake up and object? Transmission divorced from its source of power is a giant lie.
While Maryland sits around playing "victim" of its dwindling power supply, Virginia is planning a slew of new legislation supposed to make its data center problem "better." However, none of Virginia's legislation addresses the REAL problem -- the generation of electricity. Virginia's legislators try to pretend that electricity comes from new transmission lines.
It would also require the SCC to evaluate current rate structures to see if transmission project costs linked to data centers are being fairly applied or are being spread too widely among the broader customer base.
“One of the benefits of data centers is how much money it brings to a locality,” Subramanyam said. “And we like that, but I also want to make sure that the infrastructure needed to power those data centers, that those costs are reasonable to ratepayers and are not essentially defeating that purpose of the data centers, which is to be an economic boon for a locality.”
Transmission lines are nothing but giant extension cords that are not plugged in. It is only when the transmission line is connected to the generator that it supplies electricity. Looking at transmission while ignoring where the line plugs in is also a giant lie based on denial. Of course, it is a convenient lie for Virginians who want it all... they want the tax money data centers bring, but they don't want to host the infrastructure necessary for those data centers to operate. Attempting to shift the cost of new interstate transmission is a tricky puzzle because interstate transmission rates are a federal issue. While Virginia could direct its electric companies to allocate more costs of Virginia's portion of new transmission to certain rate classes, it cannot do a thing about all the transmission costs being allocated to the 13 other states in the PJM region. As well, data centers most likely don't have their own rate class, so any shifting of costs would also impact other industries in Virginia. This whole cost shifting thing is not solvable at the state level. Virginia needs to stop lying to everyone and trying to have it all.
If Virginia really wanted to take responsibility for its data center problem, it would deny any new data centers that did not have a firm power supply from a Virginia generator. Building new generation near the data center load is not only more reliable, but it's also cheaper than building hundreds of miles of new transmission to existing coal-fired power plants. Does Virginia think those coal plants in other states are going to operate forever? At some point, those aging plants are also going to close, and then what good is Virginia's extension cord when it's not plugged into anything? Are we all being forced to sacrifice for a new transmission line that may only be useful for 10 years or so? It's going to take more than 10 years to get it permitted and built!
Solution: Require Virginia localities that want to approve new data centers to also approve new power generation to support that load in the same locality. If that happened, data center building in Virginia would come to a screeching halt. Virginia doesn't want to shoulder the burden of providing electricity to the data centers that are increasing its tax base. Citizens of other states, such as West Virginia, want to carry your burdens even less. Stop being a parasite, Virginia!
When you hear the word "transmission" remember that it is NOT for the "energy transition" and that it cannot be divorced from the power it transmits. Virginia needs to own the fact that is is profiting off the misery of other states and increasing carbon emissions. And it's not just the data centers that will be using coal power... everyone in Virginia will now be using a lot more coal power from West Virginia, courtesy of the new MARL transmission line. Own it!
If Virginia really wanted to take responsibility for its data center problem, it would deny any new data centers that did not have a firm power supply from a Virginia generator. Building new generation near the data center load is not only more reliable, but it's also cheaper than building hundreds of miles of new transmission to existing coal-fired power plants. Does Virginia think those coal plants in other states are going to operate forever? At some point, those aging plants are also going to close, and then what good is Virginia's extension cord when it's not plugged into anything? Are we all being forced to sacrifice for a new transmission line that may only be useful for 10 years or so? It's going to take more than 10 years to get it permitted and built!
Solution: Require Virginia localities that want to approve new data centers to also approve new power generation to support that load in the same locality. If that happened, data center building in Virginia would come to a screeching halt. Virginia doesn't want to shoulder the burden of providing electricity to the data centers that are increasing its tax base. Citizens of other states, such as West Virginia, want to carry your burdens even less. Stop being a parasite, Virginia!
When you hear the word "transmission" remember that it is NOT for the "energy transition" and that it cannot be divorced from the power it transmits. Virginia needs to own the fact that is is profiting off the misery of other states and increasing carbon emissions. And it's not just the data centers that will be using coal power... everyone in Virginia will now be using a lot more coal power from West Virginia, courtesy of the new MARL transmission line. Own it!
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