Southwest Energy Alliance

The energy produced by the sun that hits the U.S. and wind that blows across it is more than enough to power the Nation. It is clean, and it won’t run out. More ->

Why aren’t we displacing foreign oil with these resources? The simplest answers are:

• Proximity – The most prolific solar and wind resources tend to be far away from consumer markets and the electricity highways that could connect the two. And the operation of three separate electric grids in the U.S. makes getting these resources to where they are needed even more challenging. More->
• Predictability – The wind will blow and the sun will shine, but we can’t pinpoint exactly when they will do that, and people and businesses can’t stop using power in the meantime. More->
• Cost – The cost of generating wind and solar power is dropping steadily, but they are not yet competitive with other fuels, and it costs a lot to transport power from where it is produced to consumption centers. More->

Making it Work

These challenges will all take time and financial resources to overcome. Nonetheless, there are steps we can take now to maximize the use of America’s most abundant clean energy resources and members of the Southwest Energy Alliance are taking them.

• Proximity -> Transmission and Open Markets – New power transmission lines to bring clean energy to where it will be consumed are being planned, but getting them installed takes time and money.  In the Southwest, plans also exist to connect the Nation’s three independently operated grids in order to allow clean energy to flow between them to markets that presently can’t take advantage of excess renewable generation. Rather than being artificially “landlocked” and sometimes just plain wasted, renewable energy will be allowed to move to markets where it is most desired. More ->
• Predictability -> Backup – Alliance members will construct clean, natural gas fired generation, along with energy storage and market-based dispatching that will transform intermittent renewable power into clean power products that purchasers can rely upon. This will make it easier for utilities to meet greenhouse gas emission standards without sacrificing reliability. More ->
• Costs -> Economies of Scale – By pairing renewable energy with the cleanest of fossil fuel power, members of the Alliance will create economies of scale that will lower costs of moving clean power from where it is produced to where it is consumed. More ->

These projects will produce badly needed jobs in the near term, and provide abundant, reliable, clean power that will serve as a catalyst for economic growth in the Southwest and beyond while at the same time helping meet the Nation’s energy independence and clean air goals.