Thread by @AriPeskoe

The "real barriers" to getting a 100% clean electric system "are not physical — they are legal and bureaucratic."

Article mentions market rules and "cumbersome procedures required to put up power lines and other infrastructure," including enviro reviews. That's shorthand for:

https://twitter.com/cleantechsonia/status/1206597224928436224

Siting transmission lines and power plants (done by states, unless the proposed line or plant is on federal land or hydro).

Alex Klass has written in-depth on transmission line siting - papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/Ab…. Rossi+Brown have a good older piece too - scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/cgi/viewconten…

And as @kdgscribe just pointed out, some localities are issuing land-use restrictions that block development -

https://twitter.com/kdgscribe/status/1206595409122123778

@kdgscribe Interconnection process (depending on location, may involve RTOs or public utilities implementing FERC-regulated rules)

This undated NARUC presentation has an overview - pubs.naruc.org/pub.cfm?id=537…

@kdgscribe Transmission planning (depending on location, may involve RTOs or public utilities developing blueprints for regional transmission expansion)

@kdgscribe Utility integrated resource planning (state-regulated process for planning new generation and retirements of unneeded plants)

This LBNL document has an overview emp.lbl.gov/sites/all/file…

@kdgscribe Ratemaking proceedings (state-regulated process for that sets terms for cost recovery of investments in generation and power purchase expenses)

@kdgscribe There are at least two reasons why we should expect reforms to be slow:
1 - maintaining reliability is paramount (hence resistance to change)
2 - entrenched interests

One could argue that regulators keep adding more bureaucracy, making reforms even more difficult.

@kdgscribe The article notes that "the most critical missing element is a national mandate." One value of a mandate (like an RPS) is that it will provide a deadline for reforms.

@kdgscribe Most companies in the power sector say they're in favor of clean energy. That's a big change. 10-15 yrs ago major utilities were still touting coal. Just look at this snippet from AEP's 2004 report boasting that they burn more coal than anyone:

@kdgscribe If 100% by 2030ish proposals gain traction in Congress, I expect to see industry urging for a slower approach. A 2050ish goal will allow companies to continue to profit from existing fossil assets and use existing processes to reform all of the bureaucracy mentioned above.

@kdgscribe That would put the industry (most of it anyway) in the position of arguing in favor of massive clean energy investments...just on a slower time frame.