A Virginia blogger visited PJM Interconnection to find out who they are and what they do, and then wrote about it. That's great investigative journalism because only a handful of the 61 million electric consumers served by PJM even know it exists. However, I do wish the blogger had a bit more curiosity to scratch underneath the surface of some of PJM's propaganda.
Amid a factual account of how PJM operates, I found this thoughtless propaganda blurb:
Amid a factual account of how PJM operates, I found this thoughtless propaganda blurb:
Electricity on the PJM grid normally flows from west to east. The major centers for electricity demand are the big metropolises along the Eastern Seaboard, at the eastern edge of the PJM system. There aren’t any power plants located in the Atlantic Ocean, therefore power that isn’t generated locally has to come from the west. As it happens, PJM’s western states have abundant, low-cost wind power — at night-time, wind power is so plentiful compared to demand that the price essentially falls to zero. The main factor limiting East Coast access to that cheap wind is the limited capacity of the transmission grid to carry it.
There aren't any power plants located in the Atlantic Ocean, but it's not due to lack of a "low-cost" source of energy. Offshore wind is a better source of energy than land-based wind.
In the United States, 53% of the nation’s population lives in coastal areas, where energy costs and demands are high and land-based renewable energy resources are often limited. Abundant offshore wind resources have the potential to supply immense quantities of renewable energy to major U.S. coastal cities, such as New York City and Boston.
Offshore winds tend to blow harder and more uniformly than on land.
Why would PJM, a member organization of power producers and distributors, downplay the viability of offshore wind, if it is truly "agnostic about the desirability of renewable energy?" Is it because PJM has an interest in building more transmission to expand its empire, or simply an interest in protecting the interests of its members? Or did this propaganda form in the mind of the blogger?
In Virginia, Dominion Power controls offshore wind energy development. And some believe Dominion is dragging its feet. Why would they do that? Dominion says its because the cost of offshore wind development is too high, but I think it's a simple matter of milking old technology for the most profits before embracing new ideas.
While Dominion whines that building two test turbines off the coast of Virginia Beach will be too costly at a price of up to $400M, another company is proposing to build new transmission to bring Midwest wind energy to coastal cities at a cost of $8.5B. Yup, that's billion.
Something doesn't make sense here. Let's crack this nut.
Energy flows from west to east in PJM based on history. Over the past 100 years, Ohio Valley coal producers have been only too eager to plunder Appalachian states for their natural resources for benefit of those eastern metropolises. The coal was mined and burned in the Ohio Valley, while the electricity produced was shipped east via gigantic transmission lines. It worked because powerful interests in the Ohio Valley were happy to destroy local environments in exchange for the economic benefits of serving as an "energy exporter." The eastern cities got the benefit of "cheap" Appalachian energy, without having any of the pollution or environmental destruction in their own backyard. And they liked it. And they got used to it. And they expect it. But, the times... they are a'changing.
Coal is no longer king. Eastern cities are clamoring for "renewable" energy. And while entrenched interests like Dominion cling to dirty energy sources in order to milk every last dime from them, other powerful interests have set their sights on the Midwest as a new source of energy exports. There's money to be made hyping America's breadbasket as "the Saudi Arabia of wind" and building billions of dollars worth of new infrastructure to continue the status quo of west to east power flows.
But, unlike the Appalachia of 100 years ago, Midwestern landowners are having none of the sacrifice that goes along with being energy exporters. While a handful may be content to voluntarily lease land for wind turbines and collect royalties, the vast majority will not gladly sacrifice their homes and businesses to host gigantic new "energy highways" to ship electricity thousands of miles to eastern states like Virginia. These businessmen and women realize there's nothing in it for them, as "market value" payments for easements through their food factories do not adequately compensate for loss of production. Adding insult to injury, while land leases for wind farms are voluntary (and subject to free market negotiation), easement purchases for transmission lines are proposed to be involuntarily accomplished through eminent domain. Landowners are faced with voluntarily jumping off a cliff before they are pushed over the edge. This isn't a choice, and "market value" has little meaning when there is no choice. There is no "market" for involuntary land sales.
You simply cannot continue the west to east energy flow status quo, Virginia! It won't end up being "cheap" plowing through thousands of miles of productive farm land with new infrastructure in order to bring you "cheap" wind energy. The days of rural America to your west gladly sacrificing for your needs are over. If you want clean energy, make it yourself. Stop telling yourself that Midwest wind energy is your next Appalachia. It's just as expensive and it requires sacrifice from people who receive no benefit.
Instead, why not encourage Dominion (and their transmission minion, PJM) to develop the wind energy resources in your own neighborhood? The extensive transmission system required to transmit offshore wind energy to eastern cities is already in place, saving billions of dollars worth of new infrastructure. As well, a plan for an offshore transmission backbone to collect offshore wind energy and transmit it to shore at several crucial points has been in the works for years.
Stop drinking the industry koolaid that convinces you that you're helpless, Virginia. Create your own vibrant energy future in your own backyard!
In Virginia, Dominion Power controls offshore wind energy development. And some believe Dominion is dragging its feet. Why would they do that? Dominion says its because the cost of offshore wind development is too high, but I think it's a simple matter of milking old technology for the most profits before embracing new ideas.
While Dominion whines that building two test turbines off the coast of Virginia Beach will be too costly at a price of up to $400M, another company is proposing to build new transmission to bring Midwest wind energy to coastal cities at a cost of $8.5B. Yup, that's billion.
Something doesn't make sense here. Let's crack this nut.
Energy flows from west to east in PJM based on history. Over the past 100 years, Ohio Valley coal producers have been only too eager to plunder Appalachian states for their natural resources for benefit of those eastern metropolises. The coal was mined and burned in the Ohio Valley, while the electricity produced was shipped east via gigantic transmission lines. It worked because powerful interests in the Ohio Valley were happy to destroy local environments in exchange for the economic benefits of serving as an "energy exporter." The eastern cities got the benefit of "cheap" Appalachian energy, without having any of the pollution or environmental destruction in their own backyard. And they liked it. And they got used to it. And they expect it. But, the times... they are a'changing.
Coal is no longer king. Eastern cities are clamoring for "renewable" energy. And while entrenched interests like Dominion cling to dirty energy sources in order to milk every last dime from them, other powerful interests have set their sights on the Midwest as a new source of energy exports. There's money to be made hyping America's breadbasket as "the Saudi Arabia of wind" and building billions of dollars worth of new infrastructure to continue the status quo of west to east power flows.
But, unlike the Appalachia of 100 years ago, Midwestern landowners are having none of the sacrifice that goes along with being energy exporters. While a handful may be content to voluntarily lease land for wind turbines and collect royalties, the vast majority will not gladly sacrifice their homes and businesses to host gigantic new "energy highways" to ship electricity thousands of miles to eastern states like Virginia. These businessmen and women realize there's nothing in it for them, as "market value" payments for easements through their food factories do not adequately compensate for loss of production. Adding insult to injury, while land leases for wind farms are voluntary (and subject to free market negotiation), easement purchases for transmission lines are proposed to be involuntarily accomplished through eminent domain. Landowners are faced with voluntarily jumping off a cliff before they are pushed over the edge. This isn't a choice, and "market value" has little meaning when there is no choice. There is no "market" for involuntary land sales.
You simply cannot continue the west to east energy flow status quo, Virginia! It won't end up being "cheap" plowing through thousands of miles of productive farm land with new infrastructure in order to bring you "cheap" wind energy. The days of rural America to your west gladly sacrificing for your needs are over. If you want clean energy, make it yourself. Stop telling yourself that Midwest wind energy is your next Appalachia. It's just as expensive and it requires sacrifice from people who receive no benefit.
Instead, why not encourage Dominion (and their transmission minion, PJM) to develop the wind energy resources in your own neighborhood? The extensive transmission system required to transmit offshore wind energy to eastern cities is already in place, saving billions of dollars worth of new infrastructure. As well, a plan for an offshore transmission backbone to collect offshore wind energy and transmit it to shore at several crucial points has been in the works for years.
Stop drinking the industry koolaid that convinces you that you're helpless, Virginia. Create your own vibrant energy future in your own backyard!
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