The U.S. White House released the initial installment of the first-ever Quadrennial Energy Review (QER), which focuses on energy infrastructure and identifies the threats, risks, and opportunities for U.S. energy and climate security. The energy transmission, storage, and distribution (TS&D) infrastructure is a large, complex, interdependent system that includes ~2.6 million miles (4.2 million km) of interstate and intrastate pipelines; 414 natural gas storage facilities; 330 ports handling crude petroleum and refined petroleum products; and more than 140,000 miles (225,260 km) of railways that handle crude petroleum, refined petroleum products, LNG, and coal.
The electrical component of the nation’s TS&D infrastructure links more than 19,000 generators with a capacity of >1 MW (sited at over 7,000 operational power plants), with over 642,000 miles (1 million km) of high-voltage transmission lines and 6.3 million miles (10.1 million km) of distribution lines. The QER identifies opportunities these systems provide for a clean and secure energy future, as well as some growing and potential vulnerabilities of these systems. The report also proposes policy recommendations and investments to replace, protect, expand, and modernize TS&D infrastructure.
Source: energy.gov
