The National Journal published an interview titled "A Greener FERC" with Jon Wellinghoff, the new chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Below are some excerpts of Wellinghoff’s comments:
"The amount of renewables [generated in the United States] right now is relatively low. So to double it in three years is not out of the question… When you get to a 20 to 25% level of renewables nationwide, then we’re starting to look at some transmission challenges of a significant level."
"It is ambitious, but I think a 50% renewable portfolio standard is do-able. I’ll tell you, there are states that I know intimately, like Nevada. I’ve already done some fairly simplified analyses that demonstrate that a state like Nevada could have 80% of its energy resources come from renewables. I’m quite confi-
dent of that."
"We do need some legislation to create a backbone, extra-high voltage grid that would deliver remote renewable resources."
"That $11 billion is just seed money to what really will be necessary to build this grid in the way that we’re talking about to promote renewables. We’re talking probably $100 billion or $200 billion for the whole system."
Read the entire interview at the link below.
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