Transmission of electricity

[David B. Benson]

Brexit cuts interconnector use and sends power prices rocketing
Pamela Largue
2021 Feb 18
Power Engineering International
www.powerengineeringint.com/renewables/strategic-development/brexit-cuts-interconnector-use-and-sends-power-prices-rocketing/

Brexit knifes transmission use in both directions.

[David B. Benson]

Report: 'Grid-Enhancing Technologies' Could Save $5B per Year by Boosting US Renewables Capacity
Jeff St. John
2021 Feb 24
GreenTech Media
www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/report-grid-enhancing-technologies-could-save-5b-per-year-double-u.s-renewables-capacity-growth

GETS improve use of existing transmission infrastructure.

[David B. Benson]

Op-ed: US needs a macrogrid to move generation to load
Rod Walton
2021 Apr 06
Power Engineering
www.power-grid.com/td/the-us-needs-a-macrogrid-to-move-electricity-from-areas-that-make-it-to-areas-that-need-it/

Alas for this often repeated idea, the economics are against it.

[David B. Benson]

Railroads To Pour Cold Renewable Energy Water On Koch Industries
Tina Casey
2021 Jul 28
CleanTechnica
cleantechnica.com/2021/06/28/railroads-to-pour-cold-renewable-energy-water-on-koch-industries/

Despite the headline this is about using railroad right-of-way to run an HVDC transmission line, avoiding the usual right-of-way permitting difficulties.
By the way, I assume that the transmission line is to be underground, which is highly unusual.

[David B. Benson]

A brighter day for distribution co-ops?  FERC’s Tri-State proceeding and reformation of the G&T model
Ray Gifford & Matt Larson
2021 Jul 27
UtilityDive
www.utilitydive.com/news/a-brighter-day-for-distribution-co-ops-fercs-tri-state-proceeding-and-ref/603969/

Existing rules make it difficult for a local utility to end a contract with a generating and transmission company.

[David B. Benson]

Given Detailed Analysis, Grids Can Host The Most Solar
John Farrell
2021 Aug 02
CleanTechnica
cleantechnica.com/2021/08/02/given-detailed-analysis-grids-can-host-the-most-solar/

Required to know where the power can flow.

[David B. Benson]

The Future Electric Grid: How HVDC Could Transform the U.S. Electric Grid
Aaron Larson
2021 Aug 02
Power Magazine
www.powermag.com/the-future-electric-grid-how-hvdc-could-transform-the-u-s-power-system/

Underground along a railroad right-of-way!  No permitting for this ISO interconnect.

[David B. Benson]

Our approach to expanding electricity infrastructure isn’t working.  It’s time for another conversation.
Almond Cohen & Liza Reed
2021 Sep 10
Utility Dive
www.utilitydive.com/news/our-approach-to-expanding-electricity-infrastructure-isnt-working-its-ti/606391/

Local incrementalism at fault.

[David B. Benson]

Pan-European ‘supergrid’ could cut 32% from energy costs
David Kearns 
2022 Feb 10 
Phys.org 
techxplore.com/news/2022-02-pan-european-supergrid-energy.html

A modeling study for, I take it, HVDC interconnects across all of western and central europe.

[David B. Benson]

The week-end read:  Super-grid forming in the Mediterranean 
Ilias Tsagas 
2022 Mar 19 
PV Magazine 
www.pv-magazine.com/2022/03/19/the-weekend-read-super-grid-forming-in-the-mediterranean/

Finally an interconnection in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, spanning from Greece via the islands to Isreal.

[David B. Benson]

America’s Electric Grid Has A $2 Trillion Problem
Tsvetana Paraskova
2022 May 16
OilPrice
oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Americas-Electric-Grid-Has-A-2-Trillion-Problem.html

Majority of grid is quite old and inflexible.

[David B. Benson]

Moroccan sun to power British homes with new interconnector
Yusef Latief
2022 May 16
Power Engineering International
www.powerengineeringint.com/smart-grid-td/td-infrastructure/interconnector-allows-moroccan-sun-to-power-british-homes/

4 3800 km undersea HVDC cables to be laid.  The principals seem quite confident of funding, etc.

[David B. Benson]

The Vital Link: How HVDC Is Modernizing the Grid
Sonal Patel
2022 Jun 01
Power Magazine
www.powermag.com/the-vital-link-how-hvdc-is-modernizing-the-grid/

A useful summary of the history of HVDC and the two modern approaches to converting between AC and DC in both directions.

[David B. Benson]

Power supply: understanding unstable grids
2022 Oct 06
Phys.org
techxplore.com/news/2022-10-power-unstable-grids.html

The phenomenon of Braess instability is studied.  This paradox is that sometimes having additional resources leads to a worse situation.

[David B. Benson]

Italy, Tunisia secure E$307 million for 600 MW Interconnection
Emiliano Bellini
2022 Dec 14
PV Magazine
www.pv-magazine.com/2022/12/14/italy-tunisia-secure-e307-million-for-600-mw-interconnector/

That’s 307 million Euros toward the estimated 850 million Euro project.  Similar projects have been talked up for over a decade but this appears to be the first with some funding in place. The concept is that the sunny south will sell power to Europe, in particular Italy which hasn’t enough generation of its own.

[David B. Benson]

Renewable Energy & Missed Connections — It’s All About The Electrical Grid
Steve Hanley
2022 Dec 24
CleanTechnica
cleantechnica.com/2022/12/24/renewable-energy-missed-connections-its-all-about-the-electrical-grid/

There are many projects awaiting permission to connect to the grid.  These won’t even start to be built without the permission.  The permission system in the USA is broken.

[David B. Benson]

How an EMP or GMD Could Destroy the Power Grid and Create Chaos
Aaron Larson
2023 Apr 13
POWERMagazine
www.powermag.com/how-an-emp-or-gmd-could-destroy-the-power-grid-and-create-chaos/

I think that the protective relays, good enough for lightning strikes, would suffice for any EMP.  So I am unconvinced.

[David B. Benson]

Hitachi, Quanta Will Build Major U.S. Transmission Line
Darrell Proctor
2023 May 04
POWERMagazine
www.powermag.com/hitachi-quanta-will-build-major-u-s-transmission-line/

Finally, after years of false starts, a definite HVDC transmission line from eastern New Mexico wind turbines to the load centers of Arizona.  Note the route map.

[David B. Benson]

Nexans secures contract to build interconnector to link Greece, Cyprus
Emiliano Bellini
2023 Jul 20
PVMagazine
www.pv-magazine.com/2023/07/20/nexans-secures-contract-to-build-interconnector-to-link-greece-cyprus/

In planning since 2015, this is the first step in the interconnector from Greece to Israel.

[David B. Benson]

Lack of ambition and attention risks making electric grids the weak link in green energy transitions: Report
2023 Oct 17
Phys.org
techxplore.com/news/2023-10-lack-ambition-attention-electricity-grids.html

Insufficient transmission lines from sunny & windy locals to load centers.

[David B. Benson]

Korean scientists develop an alternative technology for ‘SF6’, a major culprit of global warming
2023 Nov 06
Phys.org
techxplore.com/news/2023-11-korean-scientists-alternative-technology-sf6.html

SF6 is a potent and long-lasting heat trapping gas used for high voltage insulation in circuit breakers.

[David B. Benson]

Viking Link — World’s Longest HVDC Cable Now Connecting UK & Scandinavia Now Online
Jesper Berggreen
2024 Jan 01
CleanTechnica
cleantechnica.com/2024/01/01/viking-link-worlds-longest-hvdc-cable-connecting-uk-scandinavia-now-online/

Thge world’s longest HVDC transmission line is in China.  This isn’t even the longest HVDC underway cable:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea_Link
And so not the longest connecting the UK grid to the interconnected grids of mainland Europe.

But it is significant in connecting the UK to Danish wind power and ipso facto, UK wind turbines to Denmark.

[David B. Benson]

Trenchless Distribution Tech Speeds Line Undergrounding
Shannon Cuthrell
2024 Feb 09
EEPower
eepower.com/news/trenchless-distribution-tech-speeds-line-undergrounding/

Distribution lines underground are now a requirement for new developments in my community.  This technique may speed the installation.

[David B. Benson]

Reconductoring: The Quick Way To Increase Grid Capacity
Jenifer Sensiba
2024 Feb 24
CleanTechnica
cleantechnica.com/2024/02/24/reconductoring-the-quick-way-to-double-grid-capacity/

Changing steel rope core for, say, carbon fiber, produces conductors with less droop with increased current.

[David B. Benson]

The Renewable Revolution’s $3 Trillion Problem
2024 Mar 03
OilPrice
oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Renewable-Revolutions-3-Trillion-Problem.html

Alotta transmission required.

[David B. Benson]

California cuts interconnection costs for distributed solar developers that agree to export limits
Ryan Kennedy
2024 Mar 22
PVMagazine
www.pv-magazine.com/2024/03/22/california-cuts-interconnection-costs-for-distributed-solar-developers-that-agree-to-export-limits/

Also energy storage units.

[David B. Benson]

Heimdall “Magic Ball” Increases Transmission Line Capacity
Steve Hanley
2024 Mar 22
CleanTechnica
cleantechnica.com/2024/03/22/heimdall-magic-ball-increases-transmission-line-capacity/

Temperature sensor enables transmitting more power up to the temperature safety limit beyond which the line droops too far.
Clever of the Norwegians. 

[David B. Benson]

Cooler transformers could help electric grid
Jorge Salazar
2024 Apr 16
Phys.org
techxplore.com/news/2024-04-cooler-electric-grid.html

Insulators instead of kraft paper which conduct heat better result in longer transformer life.

[David B. Benson]

Attica—Crete leg of Mediterranean super grid due mid 2025
lias Tsagas
2024 April 20
PVMagazine
www.pv-magazine.com/2024/04/20/attica-crete-leg-of-mediterranean-super-grid-due-mid-2025/

Ambitious plan running from Germany in the northwest to Saudi Arabia in the southeast.

[David B. Benson]

Wind and solar in limbo: Long waitlists to get on the grid are a ‘leading barrier’
Nara Schoenberg
2024 Apr 22
Phys.org
techxplore.com/news/2024-04-solar-limbo-waitlists-grid-barrier.html

The PJM interconnection queue has grown and grown.