Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
foreseeable future. As more and more wind energy projects have connected
onto the grid in these states, grid operators have struggled to find new ways
to address the congestion problems introduced by the addition of this new
power source. 6
An obvious solution to the sorts of challenges just described would be
to upgrade and expand existing transmission systems to accommodate
the new influx of wind and solar energy projects. Unfortunately, very few
governments are successfully doing that, and renewable energy projects
are languishing as a result. In California, there are “many projects in the
planning stages yet unable to be realized because of grid constraints.” 7 And
in the United Kingdom, officials have informed some renewable energy
developers that grid access would be unavailable until as late as 2025
because of limitations in that nation's outmoded web of transmission lines. 8
One downside of any major transmission build-out for renewable energy
is its potential to blemish pristine landscapes, disturb landowners, and
disrupt sensitive habitat areas. Above-ground, high-voltage transmission
lines are not renowned for their beauty. There is also some limited evidence
suggesting that the electromagnetic fields associated with high-voltage
transmission facilities may pose a health hazard to humans. 9 It is thus
hardly surprising that contingent valuation studies have found that the
perceived aesthetic blight and annoyance caused by the presence of high-
voltage lines in a community can erode local property values. 10
Installing hundreds of miles of massive new transmission facilities and
clearing of wide pathways through forested areas to accommodate them
can pose threats to birds and other wildlife species and attract opposition
for those reasons as well. 11 Bird electrocutions, habitat disruptions, and
countless other adverse impacts can result when a new high-voltage trans-
mission line runs through an otherwise pristine rural area. Concerned about
these and other impacts, landowners and local governments can be formi-
dable opponents of high-voltage transmission development.
In light of the potential problems associated with massive build-outs of
transmission grids, some scholars have advocated limiting these conflicts
by relying more on distributed generation and “microgrids”—systems
that allow for more localized, decentralized generation and distribution of
electric power. 12 For example, commercial-scale solar PV installations on
the tops of warehouses, superstores, and other large buildings within urban
areas can be a relatively low-cost means of adding additional renewable
energy to a region's electricity mix without the need for lots of new, long-
distance transmission lines. 13 On average, utility-scale solar PV plants
situated in remote desert areas are likely to have greater adverse ecological
and other impacts than discretely-positioned rooftop solar arrays inside
a city. Generating “distributed” renewable energy through rooftop solar
arrays and other small- to medium-scale renewable energy systems also
avoids the energy losses associated with transmitting power across long
distances—up to 0.7 percent per 100 miles of 500 kV line. 14 Recognizing
 
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