Iowa commissioners gave permission this week for ITC Midwest to move forward with plans to build electric transmission lines in Eastern Iowa, one piece of a multimillion-dollar portfolio of projects intended to improve power grid reliability and resilience across the Midwest.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced it would restrict the use of federal subsidies for solar energy projects in favor of protecting farmland, but clean energy advocates say solar gives farmers a higher production value per acre than any traditional crop.
The project — approved in December — will bring the first 765-kV transmission line to the Upper Midwest. It is part of the largest electric grid expansion project in U.S. history.
But severe weather events, like last year’s Winter Storm Elliott, could bring unexpected impacts.
The Gazette spoke with MISO about how the power grid may fare amid summer heat, increasing renewable energy and consumer demands.
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