Energy Institute Webinar
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
9:30am-10:30am PST
“Accelerating Transmission Expansion by Using Advanced Conductors in Existing Rights-of-Way”
Authors: Emilia Chojkiewicz, Umed Paliwal, Nikit Abhyankar, Casey Baker,
Ric O’Connell, Duncan Callaway, Amol Phadke
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Presenter:
Duncan Callaway
Associate Professor
Energy & Resources Group
University of California, Berkeley
Overview:
A new working paper analyzes how the replacement of transmission conductors with advanced conductors throughout the US can be a rapid and cost-effective approach to address future US transmission needs.
Abstract:
As countries pursue decarbonization goals, the rapid expansion of transmission capacity for renewable energy (RE) integration poses a significant challenge due to hurdles such as permitting and cost allocation. However, the authors find that large-scale reconductoring with advanced composite-core conductors can cost-effectively double transmission capacity within existing right-of-way (ROW), with limited additional permitting. This strategy unlocks a high availability of increasingly economically-viable RE resources in close proximity to the existing network. The authors implement reconductoring in a model of the United States power system, showing that reconductoring can help meet over 80% of the new interzonal transmission needed to reach over 90% clean electricity by 2035 given restrictions on greenfield transmission build-out. With $180 billion in system cost savings by 2050, reconductoring presents a cost-effective and time efficient, yet underutilized, opportunity to accelerate global transmission expansion. Full Paper
As countries pursue decarbonization goals, the rapid expansion of transmission capacity for renewable energy (RE) integration poses a significant challenge due to hurdles such as permitting and cost allocation. However, the authors find that large-scale reconductoring with advanced composite-core conductors can cost-effectively double transmission capacity within existing right-of-way (ROW), with limited additional permitting. This strategy unlocks a high availability of increasingly economically-viable RE resources in close proximity to the existing network. The authors implement reconductoring in a model of the United States power system, showing that reconductoring can help meet over 80% of the new interzonal transmission needed to reach over 90% clean electricity by 2035 given restrictions on greenfield transmission build-out. With $180 billion in system cost savings by 2050, reconductoring presents a cost-effective and time efficient, yet underutilized, opportunity to accelerate global transmission expansion. Full Paper
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Additional Information:
- The author’s presentation will be followed by Q&A.
- For registration questions, please contact Cristina Bentley, [email protected]