U.S. Power Grid Lags in High-Voltage Line Construction Amid Surging Electricity Demand
The United States is experiencing a significant shortfall in the construction of high-voltage transmission lines, despite a rapidly increasing demand for electricity. A new analysis by energy policy experts Madeline Yozwiak, M. Granger Morgan of Carnegie Mellon University, and David G. Victor of the University of California San Diego, highlights that only about 500 miles of new high-voltage lines (345 kilovolts or above) have been built annually over the past five years. This figure is merely one-tenth of the 5,000 miles per year that studies, including a Department of Energy report, suggest are necessary to meet future demands. The analysis attributes this lag not to technical limitations, but to jurisdictional complexities, where authority is fragmented among federal, state, and private entities, each with differing priorities. This division allows multiple stakeholders to impede progress on nationally beneficial projects. The rising demand for electricity is driven by factors such as electric vehicles, ...
