The U.S. currently has about 240,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines.
If the U.S. were to triple the miles of high-voltage transmission lines, that would equal about 720,000 miles of transmission that need to be built.
According to Xcel Energy Transmission, a company specializing in constructing and maintaining power lines, an overhead high-voltage power line costs approximately $2 million to $2.5 million.
Bryce explains his Substack article that studies looking at meeting transmission capacity expansion needs in the U.S. don't often consider the feasibility of the transmission build out goals.
In an interview with Just The News, Bryce said that there are land-use conflicts, labor shortages, and transformer shortages that make it difficult to get a high-voltage transmission line built.
A transmission line running hundreds of miles will possibly cross a combination of state lines, federal and state lands, local jurisdictions, tribal lands, and private lands.
Bryce said the transformers needed for bulk power delivery on high-voltage transmission lines are usually custom built, and the wait times can be two or three years.
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