Background

If Alexander Graham Bell were alive today he wouldn’t recognize our telecommunications systems, but if Thomas Edison were alive he would certainly recognize the grid… because the vast majority of the world’s transmission and distribution (T&D) systems use the same design that became mainstream when Edison was still alive. The energy transition is not going to happen fast enough without rapid evolution of T&D systems. Renewable energy development is almost exclusively focused on electricity production and use, and new renewable capacity and output can not be readily brought online unless transmission capacity and efficiency increases rapidly. Climate resilience and cybersecurity are integral to 21st century T&D systems.

T&D systems need to become smarter, more flexible, more resilient to climate change, and more secure against cyber attacks. Multiple “smart grid” technologies are available, including but not limited to high voltage direct current (HVDC) system, high-temperature / low-sag (HTLS) conductors, dynamic line ratings (DLR), on-grid energy storage (ESS, including pumped hydropower), digital control systems for automation and cybersecurity, etc. Policy and regulatory roadblocks to the universe of smart grid options need to be identified and addressed in order to mobilize the financing to accelerate the necessary T&D evolution. “There’s money for the project if there’s a project for the money” and policy-makers and regulatory agencies have to facilitate project identification, development, and implementation.