Fix the Grid

This program has completed and is no longer active.

The Fix the Grid Initiative aimed to educate the public and thought leaders about the risks and opportunities presented by a better integrated Western regional grid, both within the electrical system and as support for greater electrification of transportation and energy use in buildings.

The electrical grid in the Western United States and Canada, as currently configured and operated, is the greatest impediment to decarbonizing the Western economy. In order to achieve 1990 levels of carbon emissions, the West must bring its electrical grid up to the standards that exist in most of the rest of North America, and indeed, throughout the developed world.

Fix the Grid was a coalition of parties that recognized that the consolidation of multiple, disparate electricity markets into a well-organized Regional System Operator (RSO) was the fastest, cheapest, most effective means to enable a low-carbon electricity sector in the Western U.S.

The Fix the Grid Initiative developed and disseminated accurate information and analysis to support the establishment of an effective Western regional grid operator. Fix the Grid:

• Identified analyses and facts needed to provide a complete picture of the benefits, costs, and impacts of an expanded, integrated regional grid.
• Met with decision-makers and opinion leaders to present a balanced view of grid expansion, and to advocate for appropriate governance and operations.
• Developed earned media about the benefits of grid consolidation and the need for a more robust platform to support the conversion to a low-carbon grid.