Grid connection queues threaten US renewables goals

Concerns about pace of expansion as average wait time for renewable power projects seeking grid connections reaches almost four years

A lack of power transmission capacity threatens the ability of the US to meet its renewable energy targets, but the energy permitting bill proposed by Democratic Senator Joe Manchin could significantly improve the outlook for transmission projects if it passes Congress. By the end of 2021, 930GW of solar and wind projects were seeking to connect to the US grid, data from the Department of Energy’s Berkeley Lab show. This represents most of the capacity needed for the US to achieve its target of zero-carbon electricity by 2035. A report by non-profit Gridlab estimates 1,100GW of new wind and solar would be needed to achieve a 90pc-clean grid by 2035. The average queue time is almost four year