Renewable energy is abundant, but we need a system to get it across state lines | Letter [Video]

The recent Shannon Osaka article about the abundance of California’s solar production highlights a real need to deal with a good thing.

Opponents of solar and other alternative energy sources always point out their variability: “The sun doesn’t always shine, the wind doesn’t always blow”. Yes, improved storage technologies will stockpile the peak production to more closely match times of peak demand.

But it shines and blows somewhere. The problem is getting the power from where it is made to where it is needed. Neighboring states and even regions can often use that excess power but the electrical grid is unable to move large amounts of energy from one part of the country to another. What is needed is a mechanism to coordinate supply and demand across state lines, and grid infrastructure improvements to make it more robust, efficient, and weather resistant.

There are dozens of grid improvement projects ready to be built that are …