The Western Renewable Energy Zones (WREZ) initiative is seeking public comment through March 2 on draft documents relating to its proposed project that is designed to expedite the development and delivery of electricity generated by renewable energy.
The WREZ initiative was launched in May 2008 and includes 11 states, two Canadian provinces and areas of Mexico that are part of the Western Interconnection.
A steering committee consisting of governors, public utility commissioners, Canadian premiers and U.S. federal officials is guiding the process. The committees and work groups that developed the package of materials open for public comment include representatives from all levels of government, tribes, the renewable energy industry, utilities and environmental groups.
The WREZ project is expected to generate reliable information to support the cost-effective and environmentally sensitive development of renewable energy within each renewable energy zone (REZ) and quantifying non-REZ resources, and conceptual transmission plans for delivering the energy from specified zones to load centers across the Western Interconnection.
The WREZ process will not override individual state efforts to identify lands for renewable energy generation. Rather, it will provide information and tools that can be used to examine scenarios for developing renewable resources, the transmission needed to bring them to market and the associated costs.
For more information, visit westgov.org.
SOURCE: Western Renewable Energy Zones
