The National Renewable Energy Laboratory reports that the current grid should have the capacity, without major new upgrades, to handle enough new wind and solar energy so as to account for 35 percent of the region's total electricity.
"When you coordinate the operations between utilities across a large geographic area, you decrease the effect of the variability of wind and solar energy sources, mitigating the unpredictability of Mother Nature," said Dr. Debra Lew, who was the study's project manager.
A growing number of renewable energy projects are in various stages of development across the Southwest, as well as in other regions of the country. This particular study looked at some of the most common clean energy technologies: wind, photovoltaic and solar thermal.
Meanwhile, utilities and government agencies are continuing to invest heavily in other related upgrades for the current electric grid, with an eye on adding new technologies that will allow businesses and consumers to use their energy more efficiently than ever.
