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Service technicians work to install the foundation for a transmission tower at the CenterPoint Energy power plant on June 10, 2022 in Houston, Texas.

Brandon Bell | Getty Images News | Getty Images

This story is part of CNBC’s “Transmission Troubles” series, an inside look at why the aging electrical grid in the U.S. is struggling to keep up, how it’s being improved, and why it’s so vital to fighting climate change. See also Part 1, “Why America’s outdated energy grid is a climate problem.”

Building new transmission lines in the United States is like herding cats. Unless that process can be fundamentally improved, the nation will have a hard time meeting its climate goals.

The transmission system in the U.S. is old, doesn’t go where an energy grid powered by clean energy sources needs to go, and isn’t being built fast enough to meet projected demand increases.

Building new transmission lines in the U.S. takes so long — if they are built at all — that electrical transmission has become a roadblock for deploying clean energy.

“Right now, over 1,000 gigawatts worth of potential clean energy projects are waiting for approval — about the current size of the entire U.S. grid — and the primary reason for the bottleneck is the lack of transmission,” Bill Gates wrote in a recent blog post about transmission lines.

The stakes are high.

From 2013 to 2020, transmission lines have expanded at only about 1% per year. To achieve the full impact of the historic Inflation Reduction Act, that pace must more than double to an average of 2.3% per year, according to a Princeton University report led by professor Jesse Jenkins, who is a macro-scale energy systems engineer.

Herding cats with competing interests

Building new transmission lines requires countless stakeholders to come together and hash out a compromise about where a line will run and who will pay for it.

There are 3,150 utility companies in the country, the U.S. Energy Information Administration told CNBC, and for transmission lines to be constructed, each of the affected utilities, their respective regulators, and the landowners who will host a line have to agree where the line will go and how to pay for it, according to their own respective rules.

Aubrey Johnson, a vice president of system planning for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), one of seven regional planning agencies in the U.S., compared his work to making a patchwork quilt from pieces of cloth.

“We are patching and connecting all these different pieces, all of these different utilities, all of these different load-serving entities, and really trying to look at what works best for the greatest good and trying to figure out how to resolve the most issues for the most amount of people,” Johnson told CNBC.

What’s more, the parties at the negotiating table can have competing interests. For example, an environmental group is likely to disagree with stakeholders who advocate for more power generation from a fossil-fuel-based source. And a transmission-first or transmission-only company involved is going to benefit more than a company whose main business is power generation, potentially putting the parties at odds with each other.

The system really flounders when a line would span a long distance, running across multiple states.

States “look at each other and say: ‘Well, you pay for it. No, you pay for it.’ So, that’s kind of where we get stuck most of the time,”  Rob Gramlich, the founder of transmission policy group Grid Strategies, told CNBC.

“The industry grew up as hundreds of utilities serving small geographic areas,” Gramlich told CNBC. “The regulatory structure was not set up for lines that cross 10 or more utility service territories. It’s like we have municipal governments trying to fund an interstate highway.”

This type of headache and bureaucratic consternation often prevent utilities or other energy organizations from even proposing new lines.

“More often than not, there’s just not anybody proposing the line. And nobody planned it. Because energy companies know that there’s not a functioning way really to recover the costs,” Gramlich told CNBC.

Electrical transmission towers during a heatwave in Vallejo, California, US, on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. Blisteringly hot temperatures and a rash of wildfires are posing a twin threat to California’s power grid as a heat wave smothering the region peaks in the days ahead. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Who benefits, who pays?

Energy companies that build new transmission lines need to get a return on their investment, explains James McCalley, an electrical engineering professor at Iowa State University. “They have got to get paid for what they just did, in some way, otherwise it doesn’t make sense for them to do it.”

Ultimately, an energy organization — a utility, cooperative, or transmission-only company — will pass the cost of a new transmission line on to the electricity customers who benefit.

“One principle that has been imposed on most of the cost allocation mechanisms for transmission has been, to the extent that we can identify beneficiaries, beneficiaries pay,” McCalley said. “Someone that benefits from a more frequent transmission line will pay more than someone who benefits less from a transmission line.”

But the mechanisms for recovering those costs varies regionally and on the relative size of the transmission line.

Regional transmission organizations, like MISO, can oversee the process in certain cases but often get bogged down in internal debates. “They have oddly shaped footprints and they have trouble reaching decisions internally over who should pay and who benefits,” said Gramlich.

The longer the line, the more problematic the planning becomes. “Sometimes its three, five, 10 or more utility territories that are crossed by needed long-distance high-capacity lines. We don’t have a well-functioning system to determine who benefits and assign costs,” Gramlich told CNBC. (Here is a map showing the region-by-region planning entities.)

Johnson from MISO says there’s been some incremental improvement in getting new lines approved. Currently, the regional organization has approved a $10.3 billion plan to build 18 new transmission projects. Those projects should take seven to nine years instead of the 10 to 12 that is historically required, Johnson told CNBC.

“Everybody’s becoming more cognizant of permitting and the impact of permitting and how to do that and more efficiently,” he said.

There’s also been some incremental federal action on transmission lines. There was about $5 billion for transmission-line construction in the IRA, but that’s not nearly enough, said Gramlich, who called that sum “kind of peanuts.”

The U.S. Department of Energy has a “Building a Better Grid” initiative that was included in President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is intended to promote collaboration and investment in the nation’s grid.

In April, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a notice of proposed new rule, named RM21-17, which aims to address transmission-planning and cost-allocation problems. The rule, if it gets passed, is “potentially very strong,” Gramlich told CNBC, because it would force every transmission-owning utility to engage in regional planning. That is if there aren’t too many loopholes that utilities could use to undermine the spirit of the rule.

What success looks like

Gramlich does point to a couple of transmission success stories: The Ten West Link, a new 500-kilovolt high-voltage transmission line that will connect Southern California with solar-rich central Arizona, and the $10.3 billion Long Range Transmission Planning project that involves 18 projects running throughout the MISO Midwestern region.

“Those are, unfortunately, more the exception than the rule, but they are good examples of what we need to do everywhere,” Gramlich told CNBC.

This map shows the 18 transmission projects that make up the $10.3 billion Long Range Transmission Planning project approved by MISO.

Map courtesy MISO

In Minnesota, the nonprofit electricity cooperative Great River Energy is charged with making sure 1.3 million people have reliable access to energy now and in the future, according to vice president and chief transmission officer Priti Patel.

“We know that there’s an energy transition happening in Minnesota,” Patel told CNBC. In the last five years, two of the region’s largest coal plants have been sold or retired and the region is getting more of its energy from wind than ever before, Patel said.

Great River Energy serves some of the poorest counties in the state, so keeping energy costs low is a primary objective.

“For our members, their north star is reliability and affordability,” Patel told CNBC.

An representative of the Northland Reliability Project, which Minnesota Power and Great River Energy are working together to build, is speaking with community members at an open house about the project and why it is important.

transmission lines, energy grid, clean energy

Great River Energy and Minnesota Power are in the early stages of building a 150-mile, 345 kilovolt transmission line from northern to central Minnesota. It’s called the Northland Reliability Project and will cost an estimated $970 million.

It’s one of the segments of the $10.3 billion investment that MISO approved in July, all of which are slated to be in service before 2030. Getting to that plan involved more than 200 meetings, according to MISO.

The benefit of the project is expected to yield at least 2.6 and as much as 3.8 times the project costs, or a delivered value between $23 billion and $52 billion. Those benefits are calculated over a 20-to-40-year time period and take into account a number of construction inputs including avoided capital cost allocations, fuel savings, decarbonization and risk reduction.

The cost will eventually be borne by energy users living in the MISO Midwest subregion based on usage utility’s retail rate arrangement with their respective state regulator. MISO estimates that consumers in its footprint will pay an average of just over $2 per megawatt hour of energy delivered for 20 years.

But there is still a long process ahead. Once a project is approved by the regional planning authority — in this case MISO — and the two endpoints for the transmission project are decided, then Great River Energy is responsible for obtaining all of the land use permits necessary to build the line.

“MISO is not going to be able to know for certain what Minnesota communities are going to want or not want,” Patel told CNBC. “And that gives the electric cooperative the opportunity to have some flexibility in the route between those two endpoints.”

For Great River Energy, a critical component of engaging with the local community is hosting open houses where members of the public who live along the proposed route meet with project leaders to ask questions.

For this project, Great River Energy specifically planned the route of the transmission to run along a previously existing corridors as much as possible to minimize landowner disputes. But it’s always a delicate subject.

A map of the Northland Reliability Project, which is one of 18 regional transmission projects approved by MISO, the regional regulation agency. It’s estimated to cost $970 million.

Map courtesy Great River Energy

“Going through communities with transmission, landowner property is something that is very sensitive,” Patel told CNBC. “We want to make sure we understand what the challenges may be, and that we have direct one-on-one communications so that we can avert any problems in the future.”

At times, landowners give an absolute “no.” In others, money talks: the Great River Energy cooperative can pay a landowner whose property the line is going through a one-time “easement payment,” which will vary based on the land involved.

“A lot of times, we’re able to successfully — at least in the past — successfully get through landowner property,” Patel said. And that’s due to the work of the Great River Energy employees in the permitting, siting and land rights department.

“We have individuals that are very familiar with our service territory, with our communities, with local governmental units, and state governmental units and agencies and work collaboratively to solve problems when we have to site our infrastructure.”

Engaging with all members of the community is a necessary part of any successful transmission line build-out, Patel and Johnson stressed.

At the end of January, MISO held a three-hour workshop to kick off the planning for its next tranche of transmission investments.

“There were 377 people in the workshop for the better part of three hours,” MISO’s Johnson told CNBC. Environmental groups, industry groups, and government representatives from all levels showed up and MISO energy planners worked to try to balance competing demands.

“And it’s our challenge to hear all of their voices, and to ultimately try to figure out how to make it all come together,” Johnson said.

Also in this series: Why America’s outdated energy grid is a climate problem

Why the U.S. power grid has become unreliable

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Aventon Soltera 2.5 e-bike’s first discount to $999, Autel’s new 80A EV charging station at $899 low, EcoFlow 4-day flash sale, more

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August 28, 2025

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Aventon Soltera 2.5 e-bike's first discount to 9, Autel's new 80A EV charging station at 9 low, EcoFlow 4-day flash sale, more

Leading today’s Green Deals is the first-ever discount on Aventon’s newest Soltera 2.5 Lightweight Commuter e-bike at $999 that is joining the brand’s Final Summer/Labor Day Sale. We also spotted Autel’s latest and most powerful MaxiCharger AC Pro 80A Level 2 EV Charger dropping back to its $899 low for the second time, as well as one of its cheaper 40A alternatives. There’s also EcoFlow’s final Labor Day Flash Sale lasting through the weekend, as well as some dash cam options, an EcoFlow solar bundle, a BougeRV electric cooler to fit any vehicle, a one-day-only Anker SOLIX bundle, and more waiting for you below. Plus, all the hangover savings are at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Lectric Long-Range XP Trike2 750 preorder deal, the Bluetti flash sale lows that will be ending tonight, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Review: The ST3 Pro e-scooter brings serious suspension alongside smart controls and more as Navee’s latest flagship

As a long-time rider of Segway electric scooters, my expectations are quite high for new brands looking to climb their way up to the standard that the household-name has set in stone at this point. Only within the last few months did Navee come onto my radar, with the brand offering me the chance to test out its latest flagship model, the ST3 Pro Electric Scooter, which has been quite the surprise, to say the least. At first, it seemed like it was full of gimmicks that were destined to fail, but after riding around for several weeks now, I can happily say that Segway may just have found a new challenger. Head below to get my hands-on impressions of this high-end e-scooter that still retains accessible pricing for the stunning list of features.

To get our full hands-on impression of this new flagship e-scooter, be sure to check out our review here.

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woman riding Aventon Soltera 2.5 e-bike through street

Aventon slashes $200 off new Soltera 2.5 lightweight commuter e-bike for first time, now $999

As part of its ongoing Final Summer Sale/Labor Day Sale through September 3, Aventon has given us the first discount on its new Soltera 2.5 Lightweight Commuter e-bike for $999 shipped. While it hit the market back at the start of the year, it’s been spending all the time since keeping at its $1,199 MSRP, which we’re finally seeing brought down during this sale thanks to these first-ever savings. You’re looking at a $200 markdown that drops the costs down to where its predecessor sat for most of last year, giving you an affordable and lightweight commuter at its best price yet.

Like its predecessors, the Aventon Soltera 2.5 e-bike is a lightweight commuter that is perfect for those living in urban environments, with the 46-pound weight being much more manageable when it comes to carrying it up and down stairs. This model brings much of the same specs and features we saw on the Soltera.2 model, like the 350W brushless rear-hub motor (peaking at 540W) and 9.6Ah battery combo for a 20 MPH top speed for up to 46 miles of pedal-assisted travel (four mode options) on a single charge. One notable upgrade here, though, is the inclusion of a thumb throttle so you’re not just limited to pedal assistance, but keep in mind this lowers its overall mileage.

And for the price, you’re getting a solid array of features with Aventon’s Soltera 2.5 e-bike that only makes the experience here better, including the hydraulic disc brakes, front and rear integrated lighting that offers turn signal functionality, Kenda tires, the continuance of a torque sensor, a Shimano Tourney 7-speed derailleur, a backlit LCD screen for setting adjustments on top of the USB port for charging devices, and more.

Be sure to check out Aventon’s full updated lineup of Final Summer/Labor Day deals that will be continuing through September 3.

man charging EV with Autel's MaxiCharger AC Pro 80A EV charger
Photo: BLUETTI

Autel’s newest and most powerful MaxiCharger AC Pro 80A level 2 EV charger drops back to $899 low, more

By way of its official Amazon storefront, Autel is offering the second-ever chance to pick up its new MaxiCharger AC Pro 80A Level 2 EV Charger back at $899 shipped, which matches the price we’re seeing directly from the brand’s website. We saw the first discount bring costs down from its full $1,299 price tag at the end of July, when it fell to this same rate. Now, you’re getting a second chance at this all-time low price, complete with $400 in savings, which gives you the brand’s newest and largest EV charging option for residential use.

If you want to learn more about this new model, or its cheaper alternative, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here.

computer on desk kept running by EcoFlow's DELTA 3 Plus portable power station

EcoFlow’s final Labor Day flash sale lasts through the weekend with up to 47% discounts on four units starting from $649

We’re in the final days of EcoFlow’s Labor Day Sale running up to the holiday, with the brand having launched a 4-day flash sale that is taking up to 47% off four different units. Among them, you’ll find the DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station bundled with a waterproof protective bag for $649 shipped, which beats out Amazon, where you’d have to buy the station and the bag separately for $778 right now. This bundle normally fetches $878 at full price, which we’ve seen brought as low as $616 in past sales direct from the brand while three past exclusive deals have seen it go as low as $541. You’re looking at a 26% markdown here for the next few days of the sale, giving you $229 in savings at the best price we can find. Head below for more on this and the other units seeing discounts during this sale.

If you want to learn more about this power station or the other units seeing discounts, be sure to check out our original coverage of this 4-day flash sale here.

VIOFO A229 Plus dual dash cam system

Save up to 32% on VIOFO’s A229 series of two and three-channel dash cams starting from $170

Over at VIOFO’s official Amazon storefront, you can find its A229 Plus Front and Rear Dash Cam down at $169.99 shipped. This dual-cam setup has mostly been keeping between $230 and $200 throughout 2025, though we did see it drop earlier in the year to $180, while more recently repeating falls to $170 and getting a one-time-only appearance of the $160 low during July’s Prime Day event. Aside from that short-lived low price, you’re otherwise looking at the best rate we have tracked thanks to the $60 price cut from its tag. Head below to learn more about this model and its two upgraded counterparts that are also seeing discounts.

If you want to learn more about this dash cam, or the other upgraded counterparts seeing discounts, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here.

Man in grass field connecting EcoFlow's DELTA 2 power station to solar panels

Get off-grid support with EcoFlow’s DELTA 2 solar generator bundle with a 220W panel at $699

Through its official Amazon storefront, EcoFlow is undercutting its own direct sale pricing on the DELTA 2 Solar Generator bundle that includes a 220W panel for $699 shipped, which beats out its direct pricing by $8 (including the bonus 5% savings). While the package would normally cost you $1,648 at full price direct from the brand, it starts off at Amazon at $1,299, which we’ve seen keeping between $899 and $749 regularly in 2025, with several drops lower – including a one-time fall to the new $659 low that has only appeared during July’s Prime Day sale. Aside from that one-time deal, you’re otherwise looking at the best price we have tracked, giving you $600 in savings ($949 off the MSRP).

If you want to learn more about this solar generator’s capabilities, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

two women loading BougeRV's 30-quart electric cooler into trunk of SUV

This BougeRV 30-quart electric cooler plugs into any vehicle’s power supply to keep things chilled/frozen at $207

By way of its official Amazon storefront, BougeRV is offering a return of the best pricing on its 12V 30-quart Electric Vehicle Refrigerator/Freezer at $206.99 shipped. It normally fetches $270 at full price, which we’ve mostly seen dropping between $230 and $220 for most of 2025, with more recent falls to $210 and this first-time drop to $207. While we have seen it go a bit lower to $204 in the past, you’re otherwise looking at the best price we have tracked, which equips any of your vehicles with a low-energy cooler at $63 off the going rate.

If you want to learn more about this electric cooler, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

woman charging tablet using Anker SOLIX C300X DC power station and 60W solar panel

For today only, you can get Anker’s SOLIX C300X DC station with a book-sized 60W panel back at $237

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Anker SOLIX C300X DC Portable Power Station with 60W foldable solar panel back at $236.99 shipped. We saw this same one-day-only deal pop up two weeks ago, bringing the costs down from its $330 tag, though it fetches a lower $300 rate directly from Anker’s website (currently at $270), while at Amazon, you can only find its grey variant that currently sits $13 higher. Discounts over the year have mostly taken the price down to $250 with drops as low as $220 back in February. You’re looking at the third-best price we’ve tracked in 2025 and the fourth-best overall, coming in $47 above the low last seen during Black Friday.

If you want to learn more about this setup’s capabilities, be sure to check out our original coverage of this one-day-only deal here.

Best Summer EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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The Chevy Blazer and Equinox EVs are the most affordable electric vehicles to insure

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August 28, 2025

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The Chevy Blazer and Equinox EVs are the most affordable electric vehicles to insure

most-affordable-EVs-insure

The electric Chevy Equinox and Blazer are the most affordable EVs to insure. According to a new study, Chevy’s electric SUVs topped the list, but Hyundai had the most models in the top ten.

What are the top 10 most affordable EVs to insure?

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that electric vehicles can be more costly to insure than internal combustion engine (ICE) or hybrid vehicles.

Insurance rates vary throughout the US, but much of the higher cost is due to parts repairs. For example, according to a recent study from Insurify, the Tesla Model X is the most expensive EV to insure.

Why? Because it has more expensive parts, like the falcon-wing doors, which can cost thousands to repair alone, depending on the severity.

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The report also points out that fewer EVs in a certain area means fewer insurance claims. To protect themselves, insurers will set higher premiums. Electric vehicles cost $4,058 on average to insure, according to Insurify, which is 49% more than the average cost of insuring a gas-powered car.

2026-Chevy-Blazer-EV
Chevy Blazer EV SS (Source: Chevrolet)

For those looking to save, we now have a list of the cheapest electric vehicles to insure. Leading California-based auto insurer, Mercury Insurance, revealed its annual top 10 list of the most affordable EVs to insure.

The Chevy Blazer and Equinox EVs topped the list, followed by the Nissan Leaf, Kia Niro EV, and Ford F-150 Lightning.

Hyundai-IONIQ-EVs-insurance
Hyundai’s new 2025 IONIQ 5 Limited with a Tesla NACS port (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai’s Kona Electric ranked sixth, followed by the Mini Cooper SE, all Hyundai IONIQ models (IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, and IONIQ 9), and the Fiat 500e. The Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X tied for tenth.

“With federal EV tax credits set to expire in the near future, now is the time to get into an EV for consumers who are interested in one,” Chong Gao, Director of Product Management R&D for Mercury Insurance, said.

Rank Electric Vehicle
1 Chevy Blazer EV
2 Chevy Equinox EV
3 Nissan Leaf
4 Kia Niro EV
5 Ford F-150 Lightning
6 Hyundai Kona EV
7 Mini Cooper SE
8 Hyundai IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, IONIQ 9 (all EV models)
9 Fiat 500e
10 Subaru Solterra/ Toyota bZ4X
Top 10 most affordable EVs to insure (Source: Mercury Insurance)

Gao said that although insurance costs can be higher, there are still clear benefits to owning an EV, including lower operating costs.

Looking to secure the $7,500 EV tax credit while it’s still here? We can help you find electric vehicles in your area. Check out our links below to find deals on top-selling EV models near you.

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Slate to retool a production facility in Indiana, where it expects to create 2,000 jobs

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August 28, 2025

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Slate to retool a production facility in Indiana, where it expects to create 2,000 jobs

Slate Indiana

Young “Bare bones” BEV startup Slate announced it is making Indiana the home of production of its flagship model. The company opened the door to the site of its future Slate EV production today, kicking off a process that intends to bring trucks to the public by the end of next year.

It’s always exciting to see an update from young American startups like Slate. This company piqued our interest after launching a tongue-in-cheek website this past March and then coming out of hiding a month later with one helluva flagship model.

It was then that we learned about the startup’s “Blank Slate” design, which revolves around a simplified all-electric pickup with over 100 accessories and a five-seat SUV configuration kit. We also learned that this new model was expected to start below $20,000 after US tax incentives, but that target seems far less likely now that the Trump administration has nixed many of those incentives.

Still, an all-electric pickup starting under $30k should entice many American consumers, and it appears it already has. Back in mid-May, a representative for Slate told Electrek that it had already secured 100,000 reservations for its flagship BEV.

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Granted, those reservations only required a $50 deposit, so we’d expect a mere fraction of that to come to fruition if and when Slate reaches production, but the initial appetite is clearly there.

Speaking of production, Slate hit a noteworthy milestone today, opening the doors to an existing facility in Indiana. It intends to retool and repurpose it to support BEV manufacturing in 2026.

Slate Indiana
Slate CEO Chris Barman speaking at the Warsaw facility/ Source: Slate

Slate looks to build its EVs in Warsaw, Indiana next year

Today, Slate began its “Demo Day” in Warsaw, Indiana – home to its first planned manufacturing facility. The startup opened its doors and entered the facility in Kosciusko County, which is about an hour Northwest of Fort Wayne, for the first time this morning.

The existing Indiana structure, a former printing plant, will be refurbished to suit Slate’s production needs as it looks to achieve series production and roll its first customer-built EVs off those pending assembly line by Q4 2026. Slate CEO Chris Barman spoke:

What Slate is about to build for America begins in Warsaw. We’re retooling the factory in such a way that truly allows for manufacturing simplicity and rapid scaling. The Blank Slate is made the same way, each and every time: designed to be accessorized and wrapped by the customer after it leaves the factory.

By calling Warsaw, Indiana, home, Slate said it expects to create over 2,000 new jobs and contribute up $39 billion to the local economy over the next 20 years. For now, the immediate focus will be on retooling the Warsaw plant to gear up for BEV production next year. Reservations are still open.

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