A February 2021 study found that twice as much renewable generation could be added in Kansas and Oklahoma with modest investments in technology that boosts efficiency on the power grid. The Watt Coalition, a group of six transmission technology providers, found that more than 5,200 megawatts of wind and solar capacity could be connected in Kansas and Oklahoma by 2025. As it is now, only 2,670 MW is expected to be added because of congestion on the transmission grid.
Just as a clogged city freeway can frustrate drivers, electric grid congestion has become a growing obstacle for renewable energy developers as they seek to bring new projects online.
The Watt Coalition analysis further showed that deployment of so-called grid-enhancing technologies would produce $175 million in annual benefits in the form of lower electricity costs, or almost twice the $90 million capital investment in hardware and software, meaning a payback of about six months.