Understanding Electricity Transmission’s Purpose & Planning

Transmission lines rarely get the same attention as wind turbines or solar panels but they are the backbone of the clean energy transition. Without them, we can’t send electricity generated by renewable energy projects to where it is needed. If that doesn’t happen, we can’t shut down existing fossil fuel power plants that are a substantial contributor to our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.

In Humboldt County, most of our local electricity is currently generated at the Humboldt Bay Generating Station located next to King Salmon. That power plant burns methane (which the industry prefers to call “natural gas”) to generate electricity. The methane arrives via a 163-mile-long 12-inch gas pipeline that originates in the northern Central Valley and crosses the Pacific Coast Range before reaching Humboldt Bay. Notably, the pipeline is one of the key points of frailty in our power system. It supplies 90% of Humboldt’s methane, which we use both for generating electricity and heating many homes. The methane itself originates from fracking and other fossil fuel extraction projects located east of us, which have significant environmental impacts, including pollution of air and water. The extraction and combustion of methane is a significant contributor to global climate change.

In order to stop the global temperature from rising, we need to plan for fossil fuel power plants, like the Humboldt Bay Generating Station, to cease operating. California’s SB 100 set a goal of accomplishing this statewide by 2045. However, the existing transmission lines connecting Humboldt with the rest of California simply do not have the capacity to carry enough electricity to replace the Humboldt Bay Generating Station. That means that we cannot currently shut down the station without the lights going out.

In order to solve both of these problems, the State’s transmission regulators have proposed new transmission lines connecting Humboldt to the wider California electric grid. First, these transmission lines would deliver Humboldt offshore wind energy to the local Humboldt electric grid, reducing our local emissions by providing us with clean, consistent electricity that doesn’t depend on burning fossil fuels. Local advocates fought for the inclusion of this local connection for offshore wind power, and the energy regulators responded by including it in their plans. Second, these transmission lines would send power generated by the offshore wind turbines to the rest of the California electric grid, helping other California communities ditch fossil fuels. This would have immediate local air quality benefits for those communities and would indirectly benefit the North Coast because greenhouse gas emissions emitted anywhere contribute to climate change everywhere.

Humboldt Bay is experiencing the fastest relative rate of sea level rise on the West Coast, our forests are drying out, and our oceans, rivers, and bays are warming at an alarming rate. Simply put, fighting global climate change is a local win for Humboldt’s ecosystems. Finally, the new transmission lines would allow Humboldt to import power from the rest of the State. That would help give us the redundancy needed to move away from local fossil fuel electricity generation at the Humboldt Bay Generating Station.

Big infrastructure projects often raise concerns about cost. But research from the Schatz Energy Research Center suggests the price tag for ratepayers would be modest. According to their analysis, the transmission project would cost the average California electricity customer an additional $1–$2 per year. Because these are transmission lines of statewide import, the cost would be shared by most Californians, even though the benefits would be disproportionately tied to Humboldt. The Schatz Energy Research Center also has a forthcoming report on how transmission projects are permitted and the importance of community engagement. EPIC will be closely monitoring that process to ensure that the transmission lines avoid, minimize, and mitigate any potential environmental impacts along their route.

EPIC staff recently sat down with researchers at the Schatz Energy Research Center to learn more about the proposed Humboldt transmission projects for an episode of the EcoNews Report. Click here to read a transcript or listen.