Initiative

Macro Grid Initiative

Expanding and upgrading the U.S. power grid to enable economic growth and save American consumers money.

About

Antiquated transmission infrastructure and a balkanized electricity grid are limiting America’s ability to meet changing demands on the electric system.

Investment in more interregional transmission — either through a Macro Grid overlay or simply better connections between grid regions — would save consumers billions of dollars, enhance grid reliability and resiliency during extreme weather, deliver significant job creation, and support economic growth. 

The Macro Grid Initiative is an educational program focused on bolstering the nation’s transmission capacity by building new high-voltage regional and interregional power lines, deploying advanced transmission technologies, and developing an offshore grid.

A Macro Grid would provide economic benefits for America.

35 An additional 35 GW of transfer capability across the U.S. is needed to help ensure reliable electricity during extreme weather events.
3 M 36 shovel-ready transmission projects can create 3.3 million jobs.
$ 20 B Grid congestion cost Americans an estimated $20.8 billion in 2022.
114 % Interregional transmission must increase 114% to meet moderate load and high clean energy growth by 2035.

Latest Reports

Unlocking the Grid: A Playbook on High Performance Conductors for State and Regional Regulators and Policymakers

Reports

High power electricity poles in urban area connected to smart grid. Energy supply, distribution of energy, transmitting energy, energy transmission, high voltage supply concept photo.

Unlocking Power: A Playbook on Grid Enhancing Technologies for State and Regional Regulators and Policymakers

Reports

Energy Assurance Depends on a Resilient Transmission Grid

Fact Sheets

Transmission Resources

ACORE’s Macro Grid Initiative, coalition partners, ally groups, and academic and government institutions have developed groundbreaking resources highlighting the benefits of expanding and upgrading the nation’s transmission grid, as well as the regulatory challenges that are blocking progress to those upgrades. These resources, organized by topic, are listed below.

ACORE Fact Sheets

Upgrading and Expanding the U.S. Transmission Grid

Energy Assurance Depends on a Resilient Transmission Grid

Benefits of Transmission

Upgrading And Expanding High-Voltage Transmission Creates Jobs

Transmission and Climate Change

The Benefits of High-Voltage Transmission In A Global Economy

Advanced Transmission Technologies

Fact Sheets:

About Advanced Transmission Technologies – WATT Coalition and AMP Coalition (August 2024)

Benefits of Advanced Transmission Technologies – WATT Coalition and AMP Coalition (August 2024)

Federal Funding for ATTs – WATT Coalition and AMP Coalition (August 2024)

State Regulator Priorities for ATTs – WATT Coalition and AMP Coalition (August 2024)

State Legislator Priorities for ATTs – WATT Coalition and AMP Coalition (August 2024)

For more information, check out the WATT Coalition and the AMP Coalition.

Reports:

A Roadmap for Advanced Transmission Technology Adoption – MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (September 2024)

Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Innovative Grid Deployment – U.S. DOE (April 2024)

The 2035 Report: Reconductoring With Advanced Conductors Can Accelerate the Rapid Transmission Expansion Required for a Clean Grid – University of California, Berkeley and GridLab (April 2024)

GETting Interconnected in PJM – RMI (February 2024)

Accelerating Transmission Expansion by Using Advanced Conductors in Existing Right-of-Way – University of California, Berkeley (February 2024)

Transmission Congestion Costs Rise Again in U.S. RTOs – Grid Strategies (July 2023)

Building a Better Grid: How Grid-Enhancing Technologies Complement Transmission Buildouts – Brattle, WATT Coalition (April 2023)

Advanced Conductors on Existing Transmission Corridors to Accelerate Low Cost Decarbonization – Grid Strategies, CTC Global, ACORE, et al. (March 2022)

Grid-Enhancing Technologies: A Case Study on Ratepayer Impact – U.S. DOE (February 2022)

Unlocking the Queue with Grid-Enhancing Technologies – Brattle, WATT Coalition (February 2021)

Potential Customer Benefits of Interregional Transmission – General Electric International, ACORE (November 2021)

Transmission Makes the Power System Resilient to Extreme Weather – Grid Strategies, ACORE (July 2021)

Consumer, Employment, and Environmental Benefits of Electricity Transmission Expansion in the Eastern U.S. – Vibrant Clean Energy, Grid Strategies, ACEG (October 2020)

Eastern Interconnection Planning Collaborative – U.S. DOE (December 2011)

Offshore Transmission

Gulf of Mexico Offshore Wind Transmission – NREL (July 2024)

Offshore Wind Transmission Development in the U.S. Atlantic Region – U.S. DOE, BOEM (September 2023)

Making Offshore Wind Transmission Work for Communities – Regional Plan Association, Karp Strategies (June 2023)

The Benefit and Urgency of Planned Offshore Transmission: Reducing the Costs of and Barriers to Achieving U.S. Clean Energy Goals – Brattle, NRDC, ACORE, et al. (January 2023)

The Benefit and Cost of Preserving the Option to Create a Meshed Offshore Grid for New York – Brattle, NYSERDA (November 2021)

Offshore Wind Transmission – BNOW, Grid Strategies (October 2020)

Paying for Transmission

Just & Reasonable? Transmission Upgrades Charged to Interconnecting Generators Are Delivering System-Wide Benefits – ICF Resources, ACORE (September 2021)

Investment Tax Credit for Regionally Significant Transmission Lines: A Description and Analysis – Grid Strategies, ACORE (May 2021)

Transmission Projects Ready to Go: Plugging into America’s Untapped Renewable Resources – Grid Strategies, ACEG (April 2021)

Disconnected: The Need for a New Generator Interconnection Policy – Grid Strategies, ACEG (January 2021)

Permitting Transmission

Evidence-Based Recommendations for Overcoming Barriers to Federal Transmission Permitting – Niskanen Center, Clean Air Task Force (April 2024)

NEPA Litigation Over Large Energy and Transport Infrastructure Projects – Stanford University (October 2023)

Planning Transmission

Fewer New Miles: The US Transmission Grid in the 2020 s – ACEG, Grid Strategies (July 2024)

Transmission Planning for PJM’s Future Load and Generation Version 1 – Grid Strategies, David Gardiner and Associates, ACEG (June 2024)

Transmission Expansion for National Defe nse – Association of Defense Communities, Converge Strategies (April 2024)

Transmission Planning and Development Regional Report Card – Grid Strategies, ACEG (June 2023)

Enabling Low-Cost Clean Energy and Reliable Service Through Better Transmission Benefits Analysis: A Case Study of MISO’s Long Range Transmission Planning – Grid Strategies, ACORE (August 2022)

Multi-Value Transmission Planning for a Clean Energy Future – ESIG (June 2022)

Transmission Planning for the 21st Century: Proven Practices that Increase Value and Reduce Costs – Brattle, Grid Strategies, ACORE, et al. (October 2021)

How Are We Going to Build All That Clean Energy Infrastructure? – Niskanen Center, CATF (August 2021)

How Transmission Planning & Cost Allocation Processes Are Inhibiting Wind & Solar Development in SPP, MISO, & PJM – Concentric Energy Advisors, ACORE, et al. (March 2021)

Planning For The Future: FERC’s Opportunity To Spur More Cost-Effective Transmission Infrastructure – Grid Strategies, ACEG, ACORE (January 2021)

Report On Barriers and Opportunities for High Voltage Transmission – FERC (June 2020)

Vision Statement

Macro Grid Initiative

“Expanding and upgrading the nation’s transmission network will deliver jobs and economic development, a cleaner environment, and lower costs for consumers.”

Vision Statement Supporters