Energy regulators OK rule expected to make it easier to get renewables on the grid

This week, a panel of energy regulators approved a rule that is expected to help more renewable energy get onto the nation’s electric grid. 

The rule, passed Thursday by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, seeks to cut down on the long line for new energy projects to plug into the grid. 

According to the commission, projects have to wait an average of up to five years and more than 2,000 gigawatts of power were stuck in queues at the end of last year. That figure represents as much electricity generating capacity as all of the power plants currently operating in the U.S.

The new rule is not specific to renewable energy, but about 95 percent of the wattage waiting in line is for carbon-free power, including solar, wind and battery storage. 

The rule also comes as more climate-friendly energy projects are expected to be built in the coming years thanks to subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act. 

The American Clean Power Association, which represents renewable companies, called the rule a “key step towards allowing new clean energy resources to predictably and cost effectively interconnect to the electric grid,” in a written statement. 

The rule seeks to expedite the process by ensuring that projects are studied in clusters, rather than individually. Power providers would also face penalties if they don’t complete studies on time.

While the rule garnered praise from the renewables industry and climate advocates, some still say there is more work to do in order to improve power transmission and renewables adoption in the U.S.

Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy, in a written statement called for the commission to also address the grid backlog by “finalizing a rulemaking requiring comprehensive long-term transmission planning,” reforming the “dysfunctional”  funding model for new transmission lines and bolstering the grid’s ability to transfer electricity between various grid regions.