Negative Power Prices? Blame the US Grid for Stranding Renewable Energy
Bottlenecks are preventing cheap wind and solar energy from reaching high-demand areas.
High-voltage transmission lines at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojave Desert, in California close to the Nevada border.
Photographer: George Rose/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
As energy costs soar around the world, a curious thing is happening with increasing frequency in power grids in certain corners of the US: Prices are plunging below zero.
So much wind and solar have been added that power is getting stuck where it’s generated because there aren’t enough high-voltage lines to move it to where demand is highest. That’s forcing power plant owners to pay users to take the excess electricity.