According to the American Wind Energy Association, the states of California, Colorado, Minnesota and Texas are planning to implement a "zone" approach to integrate development of new renewable resources into transmission planning. Motivated in part by the adoption of renewable portfolio standards (RPSs), these states have adopted provisions that will require utilities to identify zones for likely renewable resource development, plan transmission needed to move power from those zones to the grid and apply to state regulators for upfront cost recovery of the transmission investment.
Quoted in Energy Washington, AWEA spokesman Rob Gramlich said that encouraging state transmission planning to include renewable zones will ensure that needed transmission is available ahead of construction of the renewable projects. Renewable advocates argue that the lack of adequate transmission is hampering optimal development of renewable resources and will make it more difficult to develop a strategy to limit emissions of greenhouse gases.
Gramlich also suggested that a "zone " approach could be adopted on a federal level, as part of the Department of Energy's current process to identify national interest transmission corridors. Renewables advocates may also seek inclusion of such a provision in federal RPS legislation.