who owns/operates transmission lines? This article has me thinking..

[srican69]

Indeed, in New England in recent months, the grid system operator has cut back power from wind and hydroelectric plants several times, generally, its representatives say, because they were making too much electricity. New wind farms are frequently located in sparsely populated areas or along mountain ridges where there has not been a need for transmission lines with a robust carrying capacity, officials say.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/15/business/energy-environment/intermittent-nature-of-green-power-is-challenge-for-utilities.html?hp

I am know there are separate entities that operate the transmission - but if the transmission lines are owned by companies that own other coal power companies - then there is no incentive for them to upgrade the lines that will only end up hurting their own business.

[Recursion]

1. They're generally run by local "authority" organizations; semi-public monopolies

It's the whole New Deal idea of "let's empower and then heavily regulate one company"; same idea behind the original Ma Bell. I don't know that there's an issue with some nefarious coal-driven plot so much as there's really just an unbelievable amount of bureaucratic inertia in these organizations, by design.

[PDJane]

2. This is why the grid should be operated by the government; it's a security thing.

While generation should be able to be diversified, the grid should be unified. Solar, wind, wave, and geothermal power should feed into a grid, with possibility of storage somewhere along the line.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. It's all a scam

And that includes industrial wind, that requires peaker plants for grid stability.

We really need, as a species, to remove the profit from this, make is into locally owned public utilities, and try nascent technology...such as bladeless wind and distributive grids.

But it makes Siemens look green

Germany's wind industry might prove a warning. And no, I am not against green tech, like some here believe, but have read enough into the current system to believe it is a scam by utilities worried about the necessary changes to the current utility model.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

5. the anti-wind power folks on the left are amusing

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Hmmm...yup

You are right...

The wind industry is not going bust in Germany...except it is

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-offshore-wind-industry-goes-from-boom-to-bust-a-914158.html

And Siemens (the larger purveyor of industrial wind mills) is not in trouble, except it is

http://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1193648/siemens-wind-division-profits-dive

And peaker plants are not my imagination

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-05-19/business/ct-biz-demand-response-20130519_1_grid-pjm-interconnection-peaker

You should research distributive networks and why the industry fears them. Free clue, these are far greener than the current centralized model.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

4. quite a bit of transmission line capacity is run by the federal government

and many wind power tie in projects including addition of substations is being handeled by Bonneville Power Administration and Tennessee Valley Authority.

[COLGATE4]

6. The article fails to mention the one reason there are

not more transmission corridors- NIMBY. A major electric utility I worked with in Michigan saw its plans to increase transmission lines (desperately needed at the time) totally stymied by 'not in MY backyard'. Claims of possible death (EMT) or cancer from these electric lines, damage to the aesthetics and a general 'hell no, I don't want it - sue me" made the project drop dead. Hasn't been revived to this day.