Transmission Study
On behalf of the Energy Future Coalition and Better World Fund, Synapse provided in-depth analysis of factors relevant to the cost and benefits of transmission for renewable energy. The analysis included an investigation of the role of transmission costs in consumer electric rates, the sunk-cost effect in renewable energy economics, and a specific analysis of the Michigan electricity market situation. Synapse also conducted a high-level analysis of Midwest region wholesale markets using in-house spreadsheet-based tools and publicly available data. The results of this project can be read in two reports, “The Potential Rate Effects of Wind Energy and Transmission in the Midwest ISO Region” and “Midwest Wind and Transmission: Rate Impacts Analysis.”