The Atlantic

Unfortunately, I Care About Power Lines Now

If America wants to fight climate change—or enjoy the benefits of a modern economy—it must get much better at building electricity transmission. Yikes.
Source: Knud Pfeifer / Picture Press / Red​ux

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A terrible thing happened to me recently. I started to care about electricity-transmission policy.

In energy circles, the people who work on transmission are feared and respected in the same way a shriveled and reputable local mage might be. They are sorcerers who understand one of the most powerful, corrupted bodies of knowledge in existence—American electricity law—but it has prematurely aged them and led them to scuttle around, muttering incoherent spells: “Ferck and nerck, ferck and nerck, ferck purpa.” Strange—lunatic, even? No question. Yet the town would surely be overrun without their protection.

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