U.S. Proposes Electric-Transmission Rule to Help Boost Wind, Solar Power

[phantom power]

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is proposing to lower costs for delivering renewable energy by permitting more frequent transmission scheduling.

The agency is considering a rule that would allow power- transmission providers to set schedules in 15-minute intervals instead of hourly, FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said today at a commission meeting in Washington.

The goal is to let transmission companies plan more accurately and encourage using power from wind farms and solar- energy panels, which are volatile sources, the agency said. Providers would be able to reduce their contracts for stand-by supplies, such as plants burning natural gas, FERC said.

“Most of the new power plants for which developers are seeking access to the grid are variable resources such as wind and solar generators,” Wellinghoff said. “This proposal will help the commission to cost-effectively integrate these and other variable generators into the grid in a way that helps maintain reliability and operational stability.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-18/u-s-regulators-propose-power-transmission-rule-to-boost-wind-solar-power.html

[StarsInHerHair]

1. so they're also bottlenecking transmission of power from

'greener' sources. Yet one more way the old dying system is holding onto power it no longer deserves.