Transmission and emissions

We need contingency strategies in case ‘big transmission’ is delayed Apparently, we need to build 10,000 kilometres of new powerlines to support our renewable electricity revolution. But there are many technical and social license challenges. We need contingency strategies that can maintain reliable electricity supply if there are delays. What could we do? First, we could drive energy efficiency and demand management harder, to get more services while using less transmission capacity. That should be a ‘no-brainer’. Heating demand for inefficient buildings and loads on transmission lines peak when we are short of variable renewables. Second, we can drive local energy production, storage and smart management. Virtual power plants, community batteries and smart demand management, broadly described as distributed (or community) energy resources, are ramping up. But outdated energy market…