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According to a UC Berkeley study, large-scale rerouting of existing transmission lines could cost-effectively double transmission capacity within existing rights-of-way. Renewable energy projects close to reconductory lines could be more easily interconnected.
According to a study by the Energy Institute at the Haas School of Business at the University of Berkeley, in the United States, replacing conductors on existing transmission lines can quickly increase transmission capacity and “unlock” renewable energy at a lower cost than the construction of new transmission lines.
According to the study, advanced drivers can transport twice as much energy as conventional ones. With rerouting, existing transmission lines are replaced with reconductor lines run along existing transmission towers in existing rights-of-way, with terminal equipment upgraded as necessary, as shown at the bottom of the image that illustrates this news.
By avoiding the need for new rights of way, rerouting avoids the long and costly processes of land acquisition and obtaining permits. According to the authors, reconduction can cover more than 80% of the transmission needed to reach 90% clean energy by 2035.
With rescaling, solar, wind and storage projects close to the existing transportation network could be more easily interconnected. The study includes several maps of specific sites with “cost-effective and high-quality” renewable resources located near the existing transmission network, obtained from the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDs) model.
Researchers from the University of Berkeley and the consulting firm GridLab used the ReEDS model to carry out the study. In its base case, with a high degree of electrification and allowing retraining, co-optimizing the expansion of generation and transmission would reduce wholesale electricity costs by 3% to 4%, compared to not authorizing the redirection. In 2050, the system cost savings from large-scale retraining would amount to $180 billion (€164.7 billion).
In the two scenarios studied, in which restricted or unrestricted transmission development was considered, retraining capacity represented the majority of installed capacity before 2030. The authors state that retraining offers the opportunity to expand transmission capacity. transportation in the coming years, while new transportation lines are planned and authorized.
The study predicts that the optimal transmission capacity added by 2050, taking into account retraining, would be about 90,000 GW-miles (1 mile = 1.6 km) with restricted construction or about 190,000 GW-miles with unrestricted construction. restrictions. The US Department of Energy has estimated that 54,500 GW-miles of additional transmission capacity are needed within the region for a clean grid.
According to the study, previous work “has shown that it is cost-effective and time-effective” to expand transmission capacity by rerouting existing lines, and there is “solid global deployment” of advanced conductors, although the technology has had “a limited acceptance” in the United States. An appendix to the study describes the deployment of reconductors in five countries and Texas.
To “stimulate the adoption” of redirection, the authors propose policy measures that could be adopted:
The US Department of Energy (DOE) or the IEEE, the world society of engineers.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
DOE Office of Network Deployment
DOE Office of Loan Programs
Public service companies
Transport network owners and network operators known as ISOs and RTOs. |
