HIGH PERFORMANCE CONDUCTORS FOR A LOW CARBON WORLD™ | |
Lexicon Report Highlights the Urgency to Deploy Advanced Conductors - Highlighting ACCC® Deployments
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Compass Lexicon's latest report "Prospects for Innovative Power Grid Technologies" lays out the need to deploy Advanced Conductors. The European energy transition necessitates a significant expansion of electricity networks to integrate an estimated 2,000 GW of renewable energy by 2040, a substantial increase from the current 400 GW. To achieve this, the transmission grid must expand by 20-50%, reaching a total length of 0.6 to 0.8 million km, while the distribution grid could grow by 20-65%, totaling 12.4 to 17.0 million km. This rapid expansion requires a dramatic acceleration in buildout rates, necessitating 10,000 km/year for transmission and 250,000 km/year for distribution - 20 and 3 times the current rates, respectively.
The urgency of this challenge highlights the need for innovative grid technologies (IGTs) to enhance existing infrastructure. Experts suggest that fast deployment of these technologies could boost overall network capacity by 20-40%, translating to an additional 100-200 GW. Key advancements of these complementary technologies include:
- Advanced Power Flow Control: 5% increase in capacity.
- Advanced Conductors: Up to 100% increase in line capacity.
- Storage as a Transmission Asset: 40% increase in capacity.
- Dynamic Line Rating: 30% increase in capacity.
- Grid Inertia Measurement: Reduction in renewable energy source (RES) curtailment through increased inertia.
Currently, Europe’s transmission network expands by about 0.1% annually, indicating a need for a buildout speed increase of 11 to 27 times. Similarly, distribution networks must also see increased buildout speeds, ranging from 1.4 to 4.6 times historical rates.
Moreover, reconductoring projects using advanced conductors present an efficient solution to enhance capacity without significant infrastructure overhauls. These advanced conductors can double existing line capacities while minimizing construction costs and timelines, making them particularly advantageous in densely populated areas.
To facilitate this transformative shift, an update of regulatory incentives is crucial. Current regulations often hinder innovation, favoring conventional technologies over more efficient solutions. Adopting flexible regulatory frameworks that encourage innovation could lead to lower costs and fewer bottlenecks in network deployment, ultimately supporting a successful energy transition.
As part of the report, an evaluation of a 380 kV ACCC® Reconductor project in Belgium validated the fact that the ACCC® Conductor can double the capacity of existing transmission lines - one of more than 1,325 other examples!
| | | | Advanced Conductors Discussed During Senate Hearing on Fusion Energy |
During the U.S. Senate Committee Hearing to discuss fusion energy technology and development efforts, it was great to hear Senator Manchin, Senator King, Senator Cortez Masto bring up the topic of Advanced Reconductoring. Senator Manchin held up a sample of CTC Global’s ACCC® Conductor. As the most experienced and leading manufacturer of Advanced Conductor Composite Cores, CTC Global appreciates the Senator’s understanding of the importance and urgency of reconducting with Advanced Conductors. The full recording can be found here. | | | | California Governor Signs SB 1006 Requiring Study of Advanced Reconductoring for Distribution and Transmission Systems |
On September 25, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1006, a pivotal law introduced by Senator Steve Padilla to enhance the state's electricity transmission capacity. The legislation mandates utilities to evaluate their transmission and distribution lines by January 1, 2026, and every four years thereafter, focusing on reconductoring and advanced technologies to increase capacity, reduce congestion, and enhance reliability while minimizing wildfire risks. Expected to double energy-carrying capacity within 12 to 18 months and improve energy loss performance by 30% to 40%, SB 1006 supports California’s renewable energy goals and aligns with new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requirements. This initiative not only modernizes the grid but also serves as a potential model for other jurisdictions facing similar energy challenges. As a reminder, CTC Global's ACCC® Conductor is the only conductor technology to receive SCS Global's independent certification for its improved efficiency.
| | | | Oxford Academic PNAS Nexus publishes: "Accelerating Transmission Capacity Expansion by Using Advanced Conductors in Existing Right-of-Ways" | As countries strive for decarbonization, expanding transmission capacity for renewable energy (RE) faces challenges like permitting and cost allocation. The study shows that large-scale reconductoring with advanced composite-core conductors can effectively double capacity within existing right-of-way with minimal permitting. This approach enhances access to economically viable RE resources near the current network. In a model of the US power system, the report demonstrates that reconductoring can fulfill over 80% of the new interzonal transmission required to achieve over 90% clean electricity by 2035, despite restrictions on new transmission builds. With an estimated $180 billion in savings by 2050, reconductoring is a promising, yet underutilized, strategy for accelerating global transmission expansion. | | | |
6 ACCC® Projects Recently Completed
91 ACCC® Projects Under Construction
150+ ACCC® Projects in the Queue
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ACCC® Conductor Selected by more than 300 Utilities in 67 Countries
| CTC Global is pleased to report that Guyana is the newest country to deploy ACCC® Conductor to improve the efficiency, capacity, reliability, and resilience of their electric power grid. In September alone, six ACCC® Installations were completed in South Korea, Croatia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. 91 other projects are currently underway in the U.S. and 26 other countries - ranging from the UAE to the UK, and from Argentina to Bangladesh. Next month, CTC will be sharing a story about the first InfoCore® installation in Latin America. Please stay tuned. | | | |
Power Line TransTech India
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October 7-9, 2024 | New Delhi, India
Power Line's inaugural trade show will be India's premier event dedicated exclusively to power transmission, uniting utilities, policymakers, technology providers, and other key stakeholders. This three-day event offers a high-level platform for showcasing innovations, discussing sector trends, and engaging in CEO roundtables, masterclasses, and B2B meetings, with additional highlights including awards, product launches, and technology briefings.
| | | | CTC Global Energy Central Webinar Invitation for You | |
Thursday October 17, 2024 | 10:00 am PT
Enhancing Transmission Capacity in Existing Rights of Way with ACCC® Conductor
The surge in demand from data centers, crypto miners, fleet electrification, and other major loads is driving the need for increased Available Transmission Capacity (ATC). However, the challenges of routing and permitting new rights-of-way can extend new transmission project lead times to 10-15 years. CTC Global invites you to a webinar where we will explore the current applications of Advanced Conductors like ACCC® Conductors to address the immediate system needs of major customers.
| | | | 2024 NARUC Annual Meeting and Education Conference | |
November 10-13, 2024 | Anaheim, CA
The Annual Meeting is NARUC's capstone event of the year, featuring a year-end summary from President Fedorchak, seminal topics across each utility sector, the installation of our new president, and special workshops. If you happen to be in town for this, please let us know as we would be happy to give you a tour of CTC Global's ISO / IEC certified production facility and test labs.
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September 29-Oct 2, 2024 | New York, NY
Wildfires have dominated news cycles and disaster calendars over the last few years. Peter Brehm, CTC Global VP and Senior Advisor participated in a key panel session "The New Normal: A Look into the Energy Sector’s Toolbox of Wildfire Mitigation Actions," which discussed various tools to support wildfire resilience, such as technology benchmarking, incentivization, and investment (e.g., advanced conductors, and grid monitoring devices). CTC Global was proud to co-sponsor another highly productive NASEO meeting.
| | | | InfoCast Texas Clean Energy | |
September 24-26, 2024 | San Antonio, TX
Infocast’s Texas Clean Energy Summit was a great place to meet and learn from policy makers, as well as the state’s most active developers, asset owners, QSEs, off takers, financiers, investors, and other key players. This remarkable group discussed the booming opportunities and looming challenges in today’s renewables environment. This was a can’t miss opportunity to get the most advanced current understanding of critical issues. CTC Global looks forward to the next Infocast Event.
| | RECENTLY PUBLISHED REPORTS | | | | Americans for a Clean Energy Grid: State Policies to Advance Transmission Modernization and Expansion | Through surveys and interviews with transmission experts, including advocates, utility staff, developers, and state legislators, the report identifies key state policies that advance transmission expansion, highlights the importance of state engagement in collaborative discussions and regional planning processes, and promotes policies that support grid reliability and affordability. It also emphasizes the need for states to adopt long-term planning horizons, recognize the benefits of an interconnected network, and streamline transmission siting processes. | | | | Energy Strategies, Grid Works, & Grid Lab Publish: “Connected West - Exploring ‘Next Generation’ Transmission Investments to Support a Clean, Electrified, and Reliable Western Grid” | |
The Connected West Study is a 20-year transmission planning initiative that forecasts the long-term infrastructure needs of the Western grid to support a decarbonized and electrified economy. It identifies "next generation" transmission investments, focusing on new expansion projects beyond those previously proposed by utilities and developers.
The study offers insights and recommendations based on these portfolios, contributing to scenario-driven long-term transmission planning in the West. While the report acknowledges that Advanced Conductors are particularly useful for transmission lines 65 miles or less in length, many utilities have discovered that transposing conductors and updating series capacitors can profoundly increase the benefits of ACCC® Conductor on much longer transmission lines as demonstrated in the AEP case study below.
| | | | Enhancing the Efficiency & Reliability of the Power Grid | David Chiesa, CTC Global's VP of Global Sales and Business Development, discusses with EPR Magazine how advanced conductor technology can improve the grid's efficiency and reliability. | | | | |
