Building more regional infrastructure to distribute electricity in the West could help states more affordably meet their clean energy goals, a new study found. And they could turn hefty profits selling power out of state.
The four western states that have traditionally exported large amounts of electricity generated with fossil fuels to neighboring states are poised to draw tens of billions of dollars by exporting clean energy across state lines, but only if the region can successfully expand the vast network of interstate transmission lines needed to distribute the electricity, according to a new study released Wednesday by RMI, the clean energy research and advocacy group.