Regional Energy: Ain’t Pretty, But…

Seattle-Post Intelligencer – It’s hard to ignore the sight of electrical transmission lines cutting through Northwest forests, suburbs or cities. But it is easy to forget their importance to everyday life.

A new federal Energy Department report ought to focus greater attention on the need to maintain, upgrade and build major transmission lines. Economically growing regions such as the Pacific Northwest will stagnate without adequate, reliable electricity supplies. And overloaded transmission systems can lead to blackouts such as one that hit much of the West 10 years ago Thursday. The Energy Department says transmission along the Seattle-Portland corridor is one of its major areas of concern, right behind Southern California and the New York-Virginia stretch of the Atlantic Coast. The report indicated construction of new lines might be necessary in some of the areas.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer