AWEA Praises Bill Introduced by
Senator Reid to Designate National Renewable Energy
Zones
Sep 21, 2007 - Wind Energy Weekly
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) introduced
September 20 a bill to establish “National Renewable
Energy Zones” to improve the development and transmission
of renewable energy. AWEA praised Sen. Reid for
proposing this legislation and released the following
statement:
“The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) is
pleased that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
today introduced the Clean Energy and Economic Development
Act, a bill that calls on the President to designate
geographical areas as National Renewable Energy
Zones. This bill would help move America toward
a more secure, more climate-friendly energy policy.
“Our nation’s citizens overwhelmingly support
increasing the generation of electricity from renewable
sources like wind, biomass and solar power. National
Renewable Energy Zones would tap America’s world-class
renewable resources that currently are not being
used due to transmission constraints and the lack
of a cohesive national approach to accessing them.
The proposed legislation includes provisions to
use the existing transmission system more efficiently
and to use the federal Power Marketing Administrations,
which are well positioned to advance the national
objective of developing renewable energy, given
their capabilities and geographic locations.
“Wind power, currently the most competitive renewable
energy option, is a readily available, cost-effective
option that can provide large amounts of new electricity
without emitting greenhouse gases. By bolstering
the nation’s aging transmission infrastructure,
National Renewable Energy Zones would not only integrate
more low-cost renewable resources but increase grid
reliability and expand resource choices for utilities
and consumers.”
National Renewable Energy Zone designation would
provide for areas with significant renewable energy
resources to be connected to the transmission grid
through transmission lines to be paid for by all
utility consumers. This approach, which has been
pioneered in Texas under the name Competitive Renewable
Energy Zone, would solve the "chicken-or-the-egg"
transmission dilemma: renewable energy developers
are reluctant to build projects in areas that have
renewable resources but lack transmission, while
transmission developers do not want to build lines
to such areas without any generation facilities
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