Innovative Solutions to Overcome Transmission Challenges for Clean Energy

Despite permitting challenges for new transmission projects, non-transmission solutions such as battery storage, grid-enhancing technologies, economic overbuilding, and customer-owned distributed energy resources can help meet clean energy goals and reduce the need for new transmission. These alternatives can optimize existing transmission, defer new transmission builds, and reduce congestion costs. However, they cannot eliminate the need for new transmission entirely, and a comprehensive approach that includes all available options is necessary to address the challenges facing new transmission development.