By CR News Reporter Joe Ross

In January, the Biden administration announced bold decarbonization goals: 100% clean electricity by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050. Similarly, many U.S. states and businesses have already adopted clean energy targets. From 2001 to 2019, the share of electricity generated from renewable sources in the U.S. increased from 28% to 38%.

However, there are challenges to the expansion of wind and solar energy.

First, consider the current, most common energy model. Michigan’s power lines aren’t built to handle the heavy electric loads needed to charge electric vehicles and heat homes in the near future.

Today, electricity is typically generated at coal or natural gas plants. Then, it is transmitted long distances through high-voltage lines to substations. From there, substations feed local power lines that deliver electricity to homes and neighborhoods.

To address this, expanding wind and solar energy requires building new wind and solar fields. In addition, we must add transmission lines to connect them. Map 1 highlights the locations of Michigan’s current solar and wind installations. Map 2 illustrates where new renewable energy fields will need to be built to meet the 100 percent renewable energy target by 2050.

According to a decade-long MIT study, expanding the U.S. transmission grid is essential to decarbonizing the nation’s electricity system. Today, most power flows through smaller, state- and region-based networks. A nationwide grid would allow regions to share electricity, thereby smoothing out fluctuations caused by local weather patterns that affect wind and solar output.

Moreover, a national approach would support the development of large-scale wind and solar farms. These could be concentrated in the windiest and sunniest parts of the country. In contrast, the current model relies on smaller farms spread across individual states. This approach is less efficient, which limits the benefits of renewable energy.

As a result, these massive, concentrated farms would reduce our dependency on long-duration energy storage. That includes large-scale battery storage, which has a dirty carbon footprint.

Unfortunately, state and private industry experts have told the Michigan Propane Gas Association (MPGA) that expanding transmission lines will be both difficult and costly. The required land and material costs are enormous—comparable to building hundreds of new roads across private property.

Furthermore, many residents in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio are pushing back against large-scale solar and wind projects. The new high-capacity transmission lines and supporting spur lines would need to cut through vast stretches of Michigan’s forests and farmland. This raises environmental and land-use concerns.

In light of this, industry experts are concerned that not all options are being considered. “I worry our policymakers are overlooking tried and true clean energy like propane vehicles,” said Scott Underwood II, Vice President of the MPGA. “Michigan has over 10,000 vehicles fueled by propane that can be fueled at over 500 sites throughout the state.”

Finally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recognizes propane as a clean fuel. Independent tests show that propane produces 93% less carbon monoxide, 73% fewer hydrocarbons, and 57% less nitrogen oxide than the limits set by the federal Clean Air Act.