The Western Governors’ Association requested that the Center for Advanced Energy Studies’ Energy Policy Institute conduct a study to provide options for improvement relating to the planning, siting, and permitting of electric transmission lines on federally-owned and administered public...

Much of the electricity grid was planned, sited, and constructed decades ago. Upgrades and new lines are required to maintain reliability and to bring electricity to load or population centers. Recent mandates for renewables necessitate new lines to be built to connect remote areas where...

In April 2011, the Center for Advanced Energy Studies’ (CAES) Energy Policy Institute (EPI) conducted a policy roundtable to examine woody biomass to energy in Idaho. CAES convened a diverse set of stakeholders for the roundtable, each with a different perspective to weigh the utility of...

In April 2011, the Center for Advanced Energy Studies’ (CAES) Energy Policy Institute (EPI) conducted a policy roundtable to examine anaerobic digesters and waste to energy in Idaho’s Magic Valley. CAES convened a diverse set of stakeholders for the roundtable, each with a different...

The first section of this article introduces transmission expansion needs and provides the recent historical context, including differences between stakeholders' understanding of the purpose for transmission planning.The second section discusses the era of preemption politics and major proposals...

The Idaho Office of Energy Resources requested that the Center for Advanced Energy Studies' Energy Policy Institute provide an analysis of Washington State's Senate Bill 5101 (SB5101), with a particular emphasis on its possible applicability to Idaho. SB5101's major component is an incentive for...

A team of researchers developed the first U.S. economic input-output analysis model and resulting impacts for small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) in 2009-2010. The team sought to answer the question, “What are the potential impacts of the manufacture, construction, and operation of SMRs in...