Advantages of Advanced Transmission Technologies

The electric transmission grid is the limiting factor for economic development in many communities across America. Energy communities looking to build generation and export power are discovering that the cost of grid upgrades stops that development. New manufacturing facilities face the same delays, costing jobs.  Poles and wires aren’t the only way to add transmission capacity. Grid Enhancing Technologies, or GETs, are sensors, controls and software that maximize the value of the existing grid. They usually find 20%-40% more capacity, which would return billions of dollars in benefits to consumers every year. Separate studies by leading engineering firms Quanta Technologies and the Brattle Group found that using GETs in generator interconnection could reduce wholesale energy costs nationwide by over $5 billion per year. GETs can also reduce grid congestion — when transmission infrastructure limits the delivery of lowest-cost power — which came to over $20 billion in 2022. GETs could have saved $2 billion-$8 billion in grid congestion every year for the past decade. GETs also mitigate the impacts of grid outages and find or create system flexibility that improves reliability.  These tools are more widely adopted outside the U.S. Countries that have modified the traditional cost-of-service business model to reflect changing grid needs are reaping the rewards. Domestically, low-cost operational technologies are not part of the utility business model — they are only compensated for building new infrastructure (known as “capital expenditures.”) #energytransition #gridenhancingtechnologies #electricgrid #smartgrids #gridcongestion #gridupgrades #infrastructure

Today, I’m excited to launch a new research series we’re calling We Would Invest. Periodically, we will spotlight an overlooked frontier or specific tech that Space VC would fund tomorrow if the right founder knocked. Our first feature: HVDC - The Invisible Bottleneck of the Energy Transition The U.S. electric grid is undergoing the largest transformation in a century. Surging demand from data centers, EVs and renewable energy is colliding with aging infrastructure and a severe transmission bottleneck. At the heart of this crisis is HVDC (High-Voltage Direct Current) which enables long-distance, high-capacity power transfer but remains constrained by outdated materials, limited manufacturing, and long lead times. Without innovation here, we believe the energy transition stalls, and along with it, technology progress. The next wave of HVDC innovation could be at the intersection of advanced materials, novel thermal management & cooling systems, and automated maintenance. To create cheaper and better HVDC systems, especially for large-scale transmission, the most likely & highest-impact technical innovations will span the following: ⚙️ Advanced Conductors - aluminum composites, graphene-infused or carbon nanotube conductors, and superconducting wires ❄️ Thermal Management - Liquid cooling systems adopted from GPU cooling, self-regulating conductor jackets, and thermal insulation wraps 🏭 Manufacturing Automation - Robotic cable winding & layer stacking, computer vision QA, or even modular fabrication plants ⚡ Power Electronics & Converters - Silicon Carbide (SiC) or Gallium Nitride (GaN) power semiconductors, AI-enabled converter control systems The U.S. grid will need hundreds of GWs of new transmission capacity over the next decade. Globally, demand for power cabling is expected to rise ~60% by 2035. We’re looking at an immediate $10B–30B domestic market for advanced HVDC technologies. Yes, HVDC solutions exist. But we face a severe manufacturing bottleneck, 2–5+ year lead times, and minimal domestic production. There’s an urgent need for a new entrant with speed, vision, and execution to emerge. We believe a founding team that understands the complexities of the HVDC market, sees the opportunity to streamline installation and permitting, and prioritizes near-term commercialization could build a generational infrastructure company. At Space VC, we would invest.

This new report from American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and The Brattle Group highlights how to integrate high-performance conductors and GETs when approaching transmission planning under FERC Order 1920.  Reconductoring existing lines with advanced transmission technologies like TS Conductor can save up to 50% on project costs compared to building a new line, the report finds. This type of project planning should be utilized as a cost-effective and timely way to upgrade transmission infrastructure, especially in the near term, to meet demand from AI, data centers, and other technology. Meanwhile, long-term transmission planning should also take into account TS Conductor’s up-to-3x capacity compared to ACSR on new line builds.  Read on:  https://lnkd.in/gnnDmmGP