Federal Grid Resilience and Innovation Funding Goes to GETs
On October 18, the U.S. Department of Energy announced $3.46 billion in investments through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) Program.
While many of the goals and strategies in the initial announcements could involve Grid Enhancing Technologies, four projects explicitly built their programs around Dynamic Line Ratings and Advanced Power Flow Control – see excerpts from the announcements below:
Dynamic Line Ratings
Virginia Electric and Power Co. (Dominion Energy Virginia): Analytics and Control for Driving Capital Efficiency Project
“Deploying the world’s largest dynamic line ratings project to allow Dominion Energy Virginia’s operators to more effectively manage some of the growing transmission capacity constraints in PJM’s service territory (which has seen a 200% to 500% load increase on certain circuits in less than three years).”
Duquesne Light Company: Grid Visibility Program (GVP): Unlocking System-Wide Data to Build a More Resilient and Equitable Grid
“Duquesne Light Company’s (DLC) Grid Visibility Program (GVP) will deploy grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) that will increase system capacity and enhance the use of clean energy. The project will unlock additional clean energy generation and enable more resilient grid operations. By deploying GETs, DLC will implement an expedited, scalable, and affordable approach to meet objectives while the grid transitions to a cleaner energy mix to meet decarbonization targets, such as those established in Pennsylvania’s Climate Action Plan.”
Advanced Power Flow Control:
EPRI and VELCO: Optimizing Interregional Transfer Capacity Using Advanced Power Flow Control
“The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) will install advanced power flow control (APFC), specifically modular static synchronous series sompensators (M-SSSC), at interregional tie lines to systematically increase the transfer capacity across regional borders. The project also includes a series of power system studies to assess the economic, operational, and reliability benefits of larger adoption of APFC in the system, and a comprehensive analysis of SmartValve technology and system impacts of APFC integration.”
Algonquin Power Fund America, Inc.: Enabling the Clean Energy Transition by Enhancing Grid Stability Using SmartValve Technology
“Algonquin Power Fund America, Inc. plans to deploy SmartValve, an advanced power flow control technology that quickly solves grid issues by unlocking additional transfer capacity on existing transmission lines. The project aims to increase transmission transfer capacity of the existing grid, resolve stability issues, mitigate the risk of climate impacts, and be replicable at other locations with similar stability limitations in the U.S.”