Siting Long Distance Transmission Lines

Many outlooks for a mostly renewable U.S. power grid include a lot more high-voltage transmission lines. But is this a realistic hope, considering how few of these lines we’ve built in recent years, and the many barriers they always seem to face? One might think not, considering the many obstacles a typical transmission project has to overcome. Then again, we can always change the rules and invent new ways of siting transmission lines, because when there’s a will, there’s a way. Our guest in this episode is a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and an expert in regulatory challenges to integrating more renewable energy into the nation’s electric transmission grid, as well as issues around siting interstate electric transmission lines and pipeline, and she’s going to help us sort it all out.

Geek rating: 6

Guest: Alexandra Klass is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School. She is an expert in regulatory challenges to integrating more renewable energy into the nation’s electric transmission grid, and eminent domain issues surrounding interstate electric transmission lines and oil and gas pipelines. She is a co-author of Energy Law (Foundation Press 2017), Energy Law and Policy (West Academic Publishing 2015), and The Practice and Policy of Environmental Law (Foundation Press, 4th ed. 2017).

On the Web:

Alexandra Klass’ profile page at the University of Minnesota Law School

Alexandra Klass scholarly papers

Recording date: July 28, 2017

Air date: August 23, 2017

Teaser photo credit: By Varistor60 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59368531