By Art Gering

NERC Details Energy Trends

By 2007, electricity generation additions in Mississippi will increase capacity in that state by more than twice the amount that existed in 1998. But additions in energy-hungry New York and California will boost capacity by only 16 percent and 21 percent, respectively, over the same period. These results are summarized in a report titled "Reliability Assessment 2003 to 2012: The Reliability of Bulk Electric Systems in North America" issued by the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC).

The report, available online at www.nerc.com, examines energy consumption, generation and transmission trends likely to arise in the years ahead.
Other findings include:

• More than 7,400 miles of new transmission lines are proposed to be added through 2007 and 11,600 miles will be added between 2003 and 2012.
• Electricity demand is expected to increase by approximately 67,000 megawatts from 2003 to 2007, while projected resource additions in the period will total about 89,000 megawatts. "Even though overall resources appear adequate, generation additions and resulting capacity margins are not evenly distributed across North America," the NERC states.
• Capacity fueled by natural gas will total more than 38 percent of total generating capacity by 2008, compared to 23 percent as recently as 1998.