ACORE Applauds DOE’s Transmission Investment and Analysis

October 3, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has a nnounced an investment of $1.5 billion in four transmission projects being developed by American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) members. These projects will enable nearly 1,000 miles of new transmission development throughout Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, and create approximately 9,000 good-paying jobs. Today, DOE also released the final National Transmission Planning Study, which finds the U.S. must significantly expand its transmission system to meet America’s demand growth and reliability needs.

Following is a statement from ACORE President and CEO Ray Long:

“The research is clear – strengthening our nation’s transmission system is vital to accelerating America’s clean energy transition and cost-effectively ensuring a reliable electric grid. The National Transmission Planning Study demonstrates how a substantial expansion of America’s transmission system that aligns with the vision of ACORE’s Macro Grid Initiative would save taxpayers $270-$490 billion by mid-century. This means that for every dollar spent on transmission, we could save $1.60-$1.80 in system costs. Upgrading the grid is a no-brainer, but to realize these sizeable benefits, America must reform its burdensome permitting process to ensure these critical transmission lines can be built in a timely manner.

“We commend the Department of Energy for today’s investment in four transmission projects that will create thousands of good-paying jobs and enable more affordable clean energy to power America’s homes and businesses. These investments will more than pay for themselves in benefits, and we congratulate the ACORE members behind each of these impressive projects.”

About ACORE:
For over 20 years, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) has been the nation’s leading voice on the issues most essential to renewable energy expansion. ACORE unites finance, policy, and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy. For more information, please visit www.acore.org.

Media Contacts:
Alex Hobson
Sr. Vice President, Communications
American Council on Renewable Energy
hobson@acore.org | 202.830.3592 (o) | 202.594.0706 (c)

Dylan Helms
Associate, Communications
American Council on Renewable Energy
helms@acore.org | 202.935.6491 (o) | 727.290.8804 (c)

The post ACORE Applauds DOE’s Transmission Investment and Analysis appeared first on ACORE.

https://acore.org/news/acore-applauds-does-transmission-investment-and-analysis/

Renewable Energy

Carl Sagan and the Suppression of Uncomfortable Ideas

Published

7 hours ago

November 2, 2026

Alice Rush

Seminal astrophysicist Carl Sagan explains why uncomfortable ideas may be banned in religion, they must not be shunned in science.

This is an important concept in American life today, as conspiracy theorists are convinced that climate change denial cannot be considered in scientific circles.

I happened to bring this up in my interview with Dr. V. Ramanathan of the Scripps Institution, who has been amassing data on global warming since the 1970s. He laughed, and explained, “If I could prove that human activity was not causing temperatures to rise, I’d be be one of the wealthiest and most famous scientists in world history.”

Carl Sagan and the Suppression of Uncomfortable Ideas

Renewable Energy

We Came Incredible Close to Averting the Disaster that Is Donald Trump

Published

8 hours ago

November 2, 2026

Alice Rush

As suggested at left, a great deal of the hardship that has befallen the U.S. was simply bad luck. Al Gore came within a whisker of victory in 2000, a win that would have forever changed the course of our nation in terms of energy policy, education, healthcare, and international affairs.

If Bernie had become the 2016 nominee, we wouldn’t have had Hillary Clinton telling our country’s most mean-spirited and least-educated people that they were “deplorables,” ushering a criminal sociopath into the White House.

We Came Incredible Close to Averting the Disaster that Is Donald Trump

Renewable Energy

Socialism and “Free Stuff”

Published

9 hours ago

November 2, 2026

Alice Rush

Social democracies are nations in which the tax base provides everyone with healthcare and education, and where the richest and most powerful people are not free to ruin the environment.

I run into someone from one of these counties a couple of times a month, and I like to ask why their people are consistently at the top of the World Happiness Rankings. The normal response is always some variant of the following:

It’s hard to be happy living in a society that is indifferent to the suffering of others. It’s part of the very nature of human beings to care about one another.

Something else I notice about these places is that very few people are religious. Sweden, e.g., is about 80% atheist.

That means no childish tribalism, no ridiculous dogmas, no worries about eternal damnation, etc.