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Net-Zero Northwest: Technical and Economic Pathways to 2050 (NZNW) is a Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI) project developed to provide energy pathways, health impacts, and workforce analysis to inform regional action from now until 2030 to put the four Northwest states on the path to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Electricity transmission is the backbone of a net-zero emissions energy system, delivering clean renewable energy to a largely electrified society. While transmission expansion faces significant challenges that include cost uncertainties as well as potential siting and permitting difficulties, the NZNW Energy Pathways analysis shows that expanding transmission lowers overall decarbonization costs for the Northwest. More importantly, expanding transmission maximizes the chances of meeting net-zero emission targets.
The NZNW Energy Pathways study modeled a Core Case that assumes the four Northwest states will achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 with relatively unconstrained technology availability, as well as aggressive electrification and efficiency. In addition to the Core Case, we modeled several scenarios to understand the impacts of constrained transmission expansion and changes in transmission cost. The key takeaways from the scenarios are:
- Expanding transmission across the Northwest lowers total decarbonization costs and increases options for meeting future net-zero goals.
- While expanding transmission across Western states will be difficult, without it, permitting challenges shift to local areas, which will also pose issues.
- Transmission planning must start now to overcome the challenges of building interstate transmission.
- Transmission planning must start now to overcome the challenges of building interstate transmission.
