Current:Home > NewsGreen energy gridlock-LoTradeCoin
Green energy gridlock
View Date:2024-12-23 15:34:40
The Pine Ridge Reservation is in the southwest corner of South Dakota, and it is windy. In fact, Lyle Jack realized his tribe, the Oglala Lakota Nation, and many other tribes in this area, could pay for lots of things they needed, just by harvesting some of that wind.
Which is why, for the past 20 years, Lyle has been trying to build a wind farm on the reservation. He's overcome a lot of hurdles, like persuading a majority of the tribes in South Dakota to join forces and form a company. They picked a spot to build the windmills where the wind blows hard and – crucially – where there's a power line. That will allow this wind farm to connect to the electric grid.
This is where Lyle ran into the obstacle that stopped his project in its tracks. So many people want to connect their new solar and wind projects to the grid right now that it's creating a massive traffic jam. All those projects are stuck in line: the interconnection queue.
On today's show: the long line for power lines. Green energy may be the future, but at the moment, the people who run the country's electric grid are trying to figure out how to bring all those new projects online. It's a high-tension tightrope act, but if they succeed, it could ensure the future of the planet. No pressure.
This episode was produced by Willa Rubin. It was edited by Sally Helm, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Katherine Silva. Jess Jiang is our acting executive producer.
Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
Always free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR One or anywhere you get podcasts.
Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.
Music: "Funky Reverie," "Inner Desert Blues" and "Blues Swagger."
veryGood! (7193)
Related
- Tony Todd, star of 'Candyman,' 'Final Destination,' dies at 69
- Nikki Garcia Steps Out With Sister Brie Garcia Amid Artem Chigvintsev Divorce
- Struggling Jeep and Ram maker Stellantis is searching for an new CEO
- NFL Week 3 winners, losers: Texans, 49ers dealt sizable setbacks
- Food prices worried most voters, but Trump’s plans likely won’t lower their grocery bills
- Florida police investigate whether an officer used excessive force in shoving a protester
- In Alabama, a Small Town’s Trash Policy Has Left Black Moms and Disabled Residents Criminally Charged Over Unpaid Garbage Fees
- Carly Rae Jepsen Engaged to Producer Cole MGN: See Her Ring
- The Stanley x LoveShackFancy Collaboration That Sold Out in Minutes Is Back for Part 2—Don’t Miss Out!
- 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' sequel casts Freddie Prinze Jr.: What we know so far
Ranking
- Man waives jury trial in killing of Georgia nursing student
- What time is 'The Voice' on? Season 26 premiere date, time, coaches, where to watch and stream
- The last of 8 escaped bulls from a Massachusetts rodeo is caught on highway
- Mack Brown apologizes for reaction after North Carolina's loss to James Madison
- Jelly Roll goes to jail (for the best reason) ahead of Indianapolis concert
- Video captures bear making Denali National Park sign personal scratching post
- Efforts to build more electric vehicle charging stations in Nevada sputtering
- Hayden Panettiere Addresses Concerns About Slurred Speech and Medication
Recommendation
-
Celtics' Jaylen Brown calls Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo a 'child' over fake handshake
-
Keith Urban Shares Update on Nicole Kidman After Her Mom’s Death
-
Nikki Garcia Steps Out With Sister Brie Garcia Amid Artem Chigvintsev Divorce
-
Kristen Bell Says She and Dax Shepard Let Kids Lincoln, 11, and Delta, 9, Roam Around Theme Park Alone
-
Padma Lakshmi, John Boyega, Hunter Schafer star in Pirelli's 2025 calendar: See the photos
-
What we know about the investigations surrounding New York City’s mayor
-
A state senator has thwarted a GOP effort to lock down all of Nebraska’s electoral votes for Trump
-
University of California accused of labor violations over handling of campus protests