The limitations of green energy

See America’s New Energy Crisis by Christopher M. Matthews and Katherine Blunt of The WSJ. Excerpts:

"But as U.S. power supplies tighten, developers are struggling to build these projects quickly enough to offset closures of older plants, in part because of supply-chain snarls. Another reason: It takes longer to approve their connections to the existing electricity grid. Such new requests neared 3,500 last year compared with roughly 1,000 in 2015, according to research from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Typical time needed to complete technical studies needed for that grid approval is now more than three years, up from less than two in 2015.  

One renewable-energy developer, Recurrent Energy, filed more than 20 of these grid-connection requests last year in California, a state that needs more clean power to replace several gas-fired power plants as well as a nuclear plant slated for retirement in the coming years. It took the company seven years to get approval and construct a separate battery storage project in that state.

“It’s only getting harder and harder to get things done in California, specifically, but in every market,” said President and General Manager Michael Arndt.

Wait times can be years for other projects that could also help alleviate energy shortages, such as high-voltage power lines to carry electricity between regions, natural gas pipelines and offshore wind farms capable of generating large amounts of clean power. These require land and ecological studies that many stakeholders say are critical to protecting wildlife, nearby industries and other interests.

The strain is already evident in the Midwest, where Midcontinent Independent System Operator Inc. operates a regional grid across multiple states. One of its biggest challenges, said Chief Executive John Bear, is how to replace coal- and gas-fired power plants that can produce power on demand with wind and solar farms where output fluctuates with weather and time of day.

When electricity supplies get tight, MISO calls on every available generator to produce power in what’s known as a “MaxGen” event, something that rarely occurred before 2016. Since then, MISO has had more than 40 MaxGen events, a number of which occurred outside the summer months, when demand is typically highest.

MISO this past week approved a sweeping plan to build high-voltage power lines to help balance supplies, though the projects aren’t expected to be complete until 2030. It is also considering how to better compensate power plants for operating on standby to slow the pace of closures. “The transition may require some scaffolding, and that scaffolding may be some gas plants,” Mr. Bear said."