National Energy Strategy
Increased access to electricity transmission lines for sellers and buyers of wholesale power could encourage competition in the industry, lower electricity costs, and enhance environmental quality. Achievement of the economic benefits potentially available through increased competition in generation of electricity could be constrained by the absence of adequate access to transmission. Calls for more open transmission have increased. Price differentials among utilities have caused wholesale buyers that cannot satisfy all of their own generating needs to seek alternative suppliers of electric power. Complex questions of economics, equity, and reliability are embedded in the concept of transmission access and in the issues surrounding access -- such as pricing, dispute resolution, joint ownership of lines, and planning for future additions to transmission capacity. Utilities' obligations under state laws and regulation add layers of complexity. The purpose of this analysis is to explore these issues and suggest appropriate federal options. Three options for federal action on transmission are considered. The first is to allow the present pattern of case-by-case determination of transmission access policy to continue. The second is to examine existing laws for authorities that could be used expand wholesale transmission access while making the terms and conditions governing that access more predictable and orderly. Both these options would ideally involve rulemaking on transmission access, pricing, contracting, and capacity-expansion planning to define more clearly just and reasonable'' utility policies that are consistent with systemwide efficiency and reliability and with utilities' obligations under state law and regulation. The third option is to enact new federal legislation which could create an obligation for utilities to provide transmission service for wholesale customers. 1 fig.
- Research Organization:
- USDOE Office of the Secretary, Washington, DC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 5354694
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/S-0085P; ON: DE91018505
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ECONOMIC GROWTH
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY
NATIONAL ENERGY PLAN
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
MONOPOLIES
PLANNING
ECONOMICS
ENERGY POLICY
LEGISLATION
MARKET
POWER SUPPLIES
PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATORY POLICIES ACT
RELIABILITY
TARIFFS
US FERC
WHOLESALE PRICES
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INDUSTRY
LAWS
NATIONAL ENERGY ACT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PRICES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
240300* - Power Transmission Lines & Cables- (1990-)
240700 - Power Transmission & Distribution- Economic
Industrial & Business Aspects- (1990-)