Transmission expansion: How a strengthened grid can lead to a safer nation

The United States currently operates under a transmission grid composed of three elements that power military bases, consumer power lines, and energy distributors. However, in recent years, we have seen severe weather test the grid’s strength. The grid is becoming increasingly susceptible to power outages, which pose risks to national defense missions, as well as the ongoing risks of cyberattacks. For the U.S. to maintain its standing as a secure global leader, investment in expanding the transmission grid is essential.

Transmission expansion is essential for national defense

The U.S. electric power grid is essential for national defense. While being critical for missions around the world and powering communities nationwide, the grid also fuels domestic military bases, making the call for transmission expansion directly related to improving the U.S.’s national defense. With increasingly extreme weather conditions, such as Winter Storm Uri and Hurricane Ida, the grid’s ability to deliver electricity effectively is at risk, with long-duration blackouts posing a threat to military missions and defense. The need for expansion can also be attributed to the growing threat of violent extremism. In the face of various risks, the need for aligning transmission expansion with national defense strategies is pressing, which is addressed in Transmission Expansion for National Defense (TREND) through three sections detailing capacities for expansion within the transmission grid to support national defense, risks that result from bulk-outages that harm the Department of Defense (DOD), and concepts that can aid in strengthening national defense through transmission expansion. Using the TREND summary, this blog will explain the components of the U.S. transmission grid, the risks that have been posed to it due to extreme weather conditions, expand on the problems the grid is facing, and end with a reassertion of why transmission expansions are in the U.S.’s best interest to ensure national security.

To understand the need for transmission expansion in support of national defense, it’s crucial to comprehend the components of the grid, as outlined in “Transmission is Mission-Critical for Everyone.” The transmission grid consists of three key elements: generation, transmission, and distribution. Generation powers the transmission system with more than 11,000 electric power plants fueling the grid through both carbon-free and legacy power sources. The power generated is then transmitted through a system of high-voltage power lines that move power over large distances. The generator and transmission aspects of the grid are collectively referred to as the bulk electric system. The last component of the grid, the distribution system, is responsible for distributing power to communities. This occurs through low-voltage distribution lines across the nation. The grid, when created, allowed for multiple pathways for energy flow while simultaneously accessing various energy sources and efficient energy delivery. The transmission system’s interconnectedness enables the correction of common outages that occur due to weather or equipment failures. The system spans the continent with eastern, western, and Texas regions. These regions connect hundreds of utilities and thousands of generation units, empowering the collective ability to solve outages due to the connective nature of how the power is distributed. This extends to the grid’s capability of restarting itself in the event of widespread outages, also known as a “black start”. For this capability to become a reality, investment in grid upgrades is needed.

Risks posed to national security

With threats to national security on the rise and extreme weather conditions becoming more frequent, it’s essential to invest in transmission grid expansion to strengthen national defense. The DOD aims to ensure the readiness of armed forces by pursuing energy security and resilience. However, there have been recent changes to what this means. In 2021, Congress passed a law (National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2021) requiring DOD to reach 99.9% availability for energy loads that support critical missions by 2030. This law was followed by guidance that the DOD adopted to obtain higher availability requirements for certain facility types, such as missile fields and satellite control facilities. The military departments have also adopted policies surrounding the requirement for critical missions to operate independently of the grid. While the DOD focuses on military-level resilience, the bases rely heavily on civilian infrastructure, with the commercial electricity grid being used for power. The reliance on civilian infrastructure has become increasingly difficult due to the frequent power outages. For the DOD to maintain its energy resilience, investment in transmission expansion is necessary to mitigate the risks posed by these outages to national defense. In 2015, Congress amended the Federal Power Act (which regulates the transmission system) to include the definition of defense-critical electric infrastructure. Following the definition, in 2020, DOD signed a memorandum of understanding to further ensure energy resilience by working with utilities to prioritize national defense through infrastructure. In light of recent extreme weather conditions that have impacted the grid’s ability to operate, it’s essential to understand the need for investment in grid expansion.

Winter Storm Uri is a notable example of extreme weather posing a national security risk. On February 14, 2021, Uri swept through Texas. The storm caused 50% of Texas’s power generation system to go offline in the midst of record-breaking demand for electricity from communities using it as a primary source of heating. Texas was forced to shed 20 gigawatts of its load in order to deal with the demands. The storm caused disruption and power outages to military bases operating in the state, posing a risk to national defense. Twelve out of the 15 military bases in Texas faced disruptions to their electricity, and one base, Red River Army Depot, even closed. Since then, Texas has increased its ability to handle cold-weather event situations, in part due to the substantial increase in its electricity generation ability, with 10,000 megawatts of new generation coming online since November 2023. Solar and batteries account for more than half of that additional generation.

Texas’ transmission situation is especially unique due to its isolation from the eastern and western interconnections. Expanding transmission would enable events like Winter Storm Uri to be handled without massive impacts on the U.S. grid, thereby furthering national defense and strengthening the system. Discussing and acting on investment in grid expansion and the advancement of renewables is crucial to being able to deal with extreme weather conditions, as was seen in Texas.

In addition to Winter Storm Uri, Hurricane Ida also caused issues with the transmission system. In August 2021, Ida, one of the most destructive hurricanes since Katrina, caused significant power outages, predominantly in Louisiana, affecting 1.2 million people, with power being knocked out up to three weeks after the storm. The primary reason for the outages was the destruction of outdated transmission lines, not designed to withstand present-day hurricanes. These outages not only disrupt the lives of everyday citizens but also those of local naval bases.

In addition to transmission expansion being necessary to manage the grid during extreme weather conditions, it can also aid in deterring adversaries of the U.S. from cyberattacks, as detailed in the Deterrence by Resilience in the TREND report. By accelerating transmission expansion and investing in the U.S. power grid, the DOD’s energy resilience strategy will be strengthened, thereby providing a stronger foundation for national security in the event of grid attacks with the potential to impact both military and civilian infrastructure. Through investing in expansion, the power grid’s capabilities become a reality, leading to a stronger grid, which in turn translates to a strengthened national defense.

Transmission expansion is needed

While the grid has seemingly been overdue for renovation, there have been steps in the right direction when it comes to investing in transmission expansion. For example, in 2022, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (which covers 15 U.S. states, including Minnesota) approved $ 21.8 billion for high-voltage transmission lines. This is the largest planned single investment in the transmission grid. Additionally, in October 2022, a grid operator serving 14 Midwest and Great Plains states authorized $ 7.7 billion in transmission projects. Texas has also invested in grid expansion, approving a reliability plan that would provide funding for a more secure grid.

The need for transmission expansion is increasing, whether due to extreme weather conditions or cyberattacks. For the U.S. to continue its role as a global superpower, it must invest in transmission expansion. Aside from a strengthened grid, it’s imperative that the U.S. adapts to the changing world. By not being proactive in investing in its own infrastructure, the U.S. leaves itself vulnerable to others intervening and taking advantage. By expanding the transmission grid, the United States is a stronger nation.