There is one big thing holding the United States back from a pollution-free electricity grid running on wind, solar and battery power: not enough power lines.
But experts say that there is a remarkably simple fix: installing new wires on the high-voltage lines that already carry power hundreds of miles across America. Just upgrading those wires, new [reports](https://www.2035report.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/5.3-Reconductoring-policy-report.pdf) show, could double the amount of power that can flow through America’s electricity grid.
“This is something that could be a triple win,” said Brian Deese, an innovation fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who headed the White House National Economic Council under President Biden until early last year. “A win for the electricity system, a win for utilities and a win for consumers.”
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There is one big thing holding the United States back from a pollution-free electricity grid running on wind, solar and battery power: not enough power lines.
As developers rush to install wind farms and solar plants to power [data centers, AI systems](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/07/ai-data-centers-power/?itid=lk_inline_manual_3) and electric vehicles, the nation’s sagging, out-of-date power lines are getting overwhelmed — slowing the transition to clean energy and the fight against climate change.
But experts say that there is a remarkably simple fix: installing new wires on the high-voltage lines that already carry power hundreds of miles across America. Just upgrading those wires, new [reports](https://www.2035report.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/5.3-Reconductoring-policy-report.pdf) show, could double the amount of power that can flow through America’s electricity grid.
“This is something that could be a triple win,” said Brian Deese, an innovation fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who headed the White House National Economic Council under President Biden until early last year. “A win for the electricity system, a win for utilities and a win for consumers.”
Read more here: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2024/05/28/reconductoring-us-electricity-grid-renewables/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2024/05/28/reconductoring-us-electricity-grid-renewables/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)
Since there is a paywall, I am wondering what the cost of doing this would be. And why haven’t we done it already?