Michael Howard’s Post

Great to see these two reports come out, confirming that innovative technologies like advanced reconductoring and grid enhancing technologies can significantly increase the capacity of existing transmission lines - without requiring an expansion of footprint. With transmission a limiting factor in many energy markets, this possibility is worth a serious review. #renewableenergy #electricitygrid

There is a lot of discussion about the need for new transmission lines to connect renewables. If the resources are in remote locations where there is no grid, we obviously do need new transmission lines. However, in most other cases there are ways to use technology (smart wires, flexible AC transmission systems, composite conductors, smarter dispatch algorithms, and distributed energy) to leverage existing transmission pathways and connect massive amounts of new clean energy for a lot less cost, land use, complexity and time than conventional transmission construction. Good article on the topic of "reconductoring" existing transmission lines from the The New York Times: https://lnkd.in/eTM3DC9Y, based on an important report from GridLab and University of California, Berkeley. https://lnkd.in/eWCPyXkg Kudos to report authors Emilia Chojkiewicz, Umed Paliwal, Nikit Abhyankar, Casey Baker, Ric O'Connell, Duncan Callaway and Amol Phadke.

🌟 Exciting Developments in Grid Modernization! 🌟 The electric grid is undergoing a transformative evolution, and I'm thrilled to share insights from a recent New York Times article highlighting key advancements in power infrastructure. One innovative solution mentioned is the concept of "advanced reconductoring." This entails upgrading existing power lines with higher-capacity conductors, enabling them to carry more electricity over longer distances. This approach not only enhances grid reliability and resilience but also facilitates the integration of renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which often require extensive transmission infrastructure. Advanced reconductoring represents a cost-effective strategy to optimize grid performance without the need for extensive construction of new transmission lines. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and engineering expertise, utilities can maximize the efficiency of their existing infrastructure, supporting the transition to cleaner energy sources while minimizing environmental impact. #innovation #technology #sustainability #alternativeenergy #energy

We need more wires to share renewable energy across the grid. These investments take 5-15 years for permitting and land control. Brad Plumer at the The New York Times covers “reconductoring” today, which can happen in 1-3 years. The shift from copper cables to fiber optic cables for long haul telecommunications enabled the massive increase in data communications capacity and traffic over the past 20-30 years (and we still need more capacity). Electricity consumption is going to increase 5-10x due to electrification (industrial, transportation, buildings) and datacenter/compute consumption. If you know about interesting projects or technology companies in this segment, please share in the comments. #electrification #grid #innovation #publicpolicy

⚡ Urgent Call to Action for Clean Energy: Modernizing Our Electric Grid ⚡     It's exciting to see NECEC member CTC Global featured in The New York Times discussing the critical need for upgrading our electric grid! The article highlights the challenges of modernizing our infrastructure to support cleaner energy sources. The piece notes that "experts broadly agree that the sluggish build-out of the electric grid is the Achilles’ heel of the transition to cleaner energy. The Energy Department projects that the nation's transmission lines may need to expand by two-thirds or more by 2035 to meet President Biden's ambitious clean energy goals.” Plum raises compelling solutions like advanced conductoring and other grid-enhancing technologies (GETS), as well as the importance of right-sizing transmission projects and making cost-effective investments Read the full article by Brad Plumer to understand why we must emphasize the urgency of improving our electric grid infrastructure to meet clean energy goals: https://lnkd.in/gTgQFWvA CTC Global's innovative work in developing advanced cables is pivotal in enhancing the efficiency and reliability of our transmission systems. Kudos to CTC Global for their contributions and for making significant strides in transitioning to a sustainable future! #CleanEnergy #ElectricGrid #InfrastructureUpgrade #NECECMembers 

Very interested in seeing the future progress and notable achievements that result from today's White House announcement of the Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment Initiative. With commitments from 21 states, the intent is to "bring together states, federal entities, and power sector stakeholders to help drive grid adaptation quickly and cost-effectively to meet the challenges and opportunities that the power sector faces in the twenty-first century." As noted, "Today, a new generation of modern grid technologies provides a significant opportunity to achieve power system capacity expansion, including through high-performance conductors that have the benefit of being able to carry double or more of the amount of power of conventional transmission wires, as well as Grid Enhancing Technologies that maximize electricity transmission across the existing system through a family of technologies that includes sensors, power flow control devices, and analytical tools. These solutions increase the capacity and throughput based on real-time conditions. Deploying these tools means that renewables and other clean sources of power can be integrated sooner and more cost-effectively than waiting for new transmission construction, which will address load growth challenges more rapidly, create good-paying jobs, and lower Americans’ utility bills."

"In many places, upgrading power lines with advanced conductors could nearly double the capacity of existing transmission corridors at less than half the cost of building new lines. If utilities began deploying advanced conductors on a nationwide scale — replacing thousands of miles of wires — they could add four times as much transmission capacity by 2035 as they are currently on pace to do." Unlocking capacity within existing power transmission facilities will accelerate new renewable power generation projects in countries where projects are stalled due to connection capacity to the grid. #sustainability #powergeneration https://lnkd.in/eRN383PH

We are delighted to formally launch our new study with Compass Lexecon, ‘Prospects for Innovative Power Grid Technologies’, which examines the impact that deploying innovative grid technologies can have in helping Europe achieve its decarbonisation goals. 💡The study, supported by Breakthrough Energy , examines eight different innovative grid technologies, analyses the potential of innovative grid technologies through cases studies, and assesses the role they can play in helping Europe reach its decarbonistion goals. Some of the key takeaways from the study are: 📈 In recent years, the annual network buildout in Europe has been approximately 500 km/year at the transmission level and 80,000 km/year at the distribution level. The buildout required by the energy transition might need to jump to 10 000 km/year on average at transmission level, and 250 000 km/year at distribution level, a jump 20 and 3 times respectively ⚡ Assuming a fast deployment of innovative grid technologies, a 20% to 40% capacity improvement on the wider network by 2040 could be achieved, enabling from approximately 100GW to 200GW of additional capacity. 🔌 Even with a reasonably conservative deployment of innovative grid technologies, the needed grid expansion can be accelerated by 5 to 8 years for transmission grids and be accelerated by 4 to 7 years for distribution grids. 💶 Installing innovative grid technologies could reduce the need for network buildout by approximately 35%, and hence achieve overall gross savings of 700 Bn€ by 2040 📩You can download the full study here: https://lnkd.in/eWywpFYb 

We can't electrify the world if we can't build the infrastructure to support it. We can't build the infrastructure if we can't engineer it. We can't engineer it if we can't survey and model of it. And this is where Looq AI comes in. A hardware-software platform to digitize the built world - affordably, easily, accurately, and at large-scale - so that we can electrify the world.

The US power grid is coming under increasing strain as demand for electricity goes through the roof. Data centers often get the blame for this, with new, high-density, AI-ready facilities requiring plenty of power. To help combat this, and aid the transition to renewable sources, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to open up a number of national interest electric transmission corridors which it hopes will enable rapid expansion of the grid. These would traverse the country and serve some of the biggest data center markets. Full details on the link below: #US #DataCenter #DepartmentofEnergy #PowerGrid https://lnkd.in/eGrqpbUz