By Dave Rogers

When Winter Storm Elliott struck the Carolinas in late 2022, we all remember the havoc wrought by plunging temperatures and blackouts. Coal and gas plants froze up, leaving millions in the dark. Better transmission connections with our neighbors would have ensured access to energy even at the height of the storm, and now we’ve got an opportunity to envision our future and ensure that transmission lines we need to strengthen our grid get built. Duke is on the right track, but they can go further.

Building new transmission can take up to a decade from inception. Unfortunately, North Carolina and our major energy utility, Duke, don’t belong to a Regional Transmission Organization like much of the U.S., which help to coordinate planning across large regions. But, there is a clear opportunity right now for Duke to think about what’s ahead. This week, Duke and the Utilities Commission are hearing from stakeholders as they provide expert testimony on what must happen to build a grid that reliably withstands extreme weather and connects more affordable sources of energy to keep costs down for everyone.

Duke is in the process of shaping an Integrated Resource Plan that will help determine our energy future. It’s critical they get it right. Experts are clear about what needs to be on Duke’s roadmap: Duke and the commission should embrace the benefits of new transmission and deploy infrastructure quickly to assure affordability and reliability. Rather than delay investments that we know will be economical, Duke should put all options on the table and build the transmission we need to strengthen our system now.

Studies show new transmission that could be incorporated in Duke’s plan is overwhelmingly cost effective. The reliability benefits alone make the price tag worthwhile. New lines allow new resources to connect to the grid, giving customers access to cleaner, more affordable energy. This means new jobs and economic impacts and a resilient system that’s good for business, while ensuring that all communities have access to abundant energy.

This is an opportunity to be proactive and plan the grid of the future. Transmission must be developed to strengthen connections to our neighbors. Think about a grid that’s bigger than the weather, tapping into wind from the Plains or geothermal from the West and relying on nearby partners for help when times are tough. Working with our neighbors is mutually beneficial, ensuring efficient use of resources while maintaining affordability and bolstering reliability so that we have options when the weather gets nasty.

Fortunately, we have models to look at for evidence that shows Duke is on the right path. In the nearby MISO region, utilities work together to plan transmission and generation while thinking about the long-term impacts new investments have on cost and reliability. MISO synchronizes generation and transmission planning, leading to buildout that minimizes costs and maximizes benefits while accounting for the value of new infrastructure. Duke is moving in that direction too, and in the future the commission should ensure that the utility coordinates with nearby providers to understand the regional landscape and avoid unnecessary redundancies that burden customers with unnecessary costs.

This week’s hearing is an opportunity to usher in a new era of grid planning in North Carolina, taking us on a path towards reliable, affordable energy and away from the outages we experienced after Elliott. If Duke is serious about creating a grid that’s clean, affordable and reliable, they must support a plan that looks 20 years or more into the future and incorporates new power lines that let us add more low-cost resources while better connecting us with our neighbors.

This first appeared on N.C. Newsline.