Final Scientific/Technical Report for Building Transmission Capacity in the Western Interconnection to Support a Low Carbon Future

The Building Transmission Capacity grant activities focused on educating both policy makers (primarily at Public Utility Commissions) and utilities across the West. Western Grid Group (WGG), the grant recipient, chose three methods to reach these audiences - direct outreach, a website that contains information on policies and strategies to integrate more variable generation resources, and a report - The Best of the West, Policies and Practices to Support Transition to a Lower-Carbon Electric Sector in the Western Interconnection and that highlights what is working in the West. While all avenues for education are effective the Best of the West report is the first west-wide assessment of its kind. The report details incremental changes that are working to integrate variable generation but it also expounds on what fundamental or transformative changes are needed to get to the 20% wind penetration and beyond