With renewable energy sources constantly coming online, the power grid is proving too antiquated and congested to handle the additional electricity. An article in today’s New York Times details the enormous challenges North America faces in upgrading its power infrastructure for the needs of the 21st Century. If you remember the massive Northeast Blackout of 2003, you know firsthand the shortcomings of the power grid.

The need for new power infrastructure is currently most vitally needed for wind power production. Moving electricity from the wind rich Great Plains — the Saudi Arabia of Wind, according to Billionaire T. Boone Pickens, whose “Pickens Plan” advocates a full on push for wind energy — to the population centers of the Midwest and Texas will require an enormous investment in power transmission lines.   Notably, the State of Texas has already approved a $4.9 Billion investment in power transmission lines to move wind energy from the Texas panhandle to its major population areas.   But such initiatives will need to be taken up across the entire continent in order to make room on the on the power grid for the enormous amounts of additional energy capacity which will be required to convert to a truly green economy.

You can takepart in learning more about alternative energy policy by checking out the Renewable Energy Policy Project.

LINKS:

NY Times: Wind Energy Bumps Into Power Grid’s Limits

The Eagle Tribune (AP): Gridlock on electric “highways” could stymie renewable generation

New Hampshire Public Radio: Planned Renewable Projects in the North Need New Transmission Lines