DOE’s i2X to connect stakeholders and overcome grid obstacles
Through the US Department of Energy (DOE), the Biden Administration has announced the Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X).
The i2X is a new partnership that brings together grid operators, utilities, state and tribal governments, clean energy developers, energy justice organisations, and other stakeholders to connect more clean energy to North America’s power grid.
The partnership aims to help reduce waiting times for clean energy sources in interconnection queues and lower costs to connect to the grid.
The i2X partners will develop solutions for faster, simpler and fairer interconnection of clean energy resources through better data, roadmap development and technical assistance.
“Eliminating the gridlock that’s slowing down clean energy deployment is critical to increasing access to cheaper electricity for American families and businesses,” stated US secretary of energy Jennifer M. Granholm.
“Funding in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help DOE and our National Labs build a coalition of problem solvers to tackle interconnection issues, ensure grid reliability and develop equitable solutions for all communities.”
The i2X programme aims to solve challenges posed by the ever-growing queue for grid integration. It will attempt to do so by addressing the issues surrounding grid interconnection, such as a lack of data, shortage of human resources and complicated grid impact assessments.
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The programme will also provide technical assistance to partners to develop solutions to specific regional, state and local interconnection issues, helping connect more clean energy to the grid and lowering costs for consumers and families.
i2X partners will also address the inequities caused by burdensome interconnection processes in alignment with the Administration’s Justice40 initiative.
Collaborating with participating i2X organisations, experts from DOE’s Solar Energy and Wind Energy Technologies Offices and DOE’s National Labs will develop a 5-year roadmap that sets goals and identifies research gaps and benchmarks for success.
The programme will be funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and comes in as the Biden Administration ramps up the expansion of new renewable energy to reach the goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035.
In addition, the DOE’s recent Solar Futures Study shows that both solar and wind energy resources will need to dramatically expand to meet the Administration’s goals.
However, according to the DOE, current rules, costs and procedures for connecting to the grid cannot handle the rapid increase in clean energy projects and require more efficient processes to bring the projects online.
The DOE further stated how the interconnection queue waiting times for clean energy generation and storage projects to be added to the grid is growing, as demand for renewable electricity accelerates faster than ever.
And with the clean energy investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, even more clean energy sources will join the queue for grid integration.
