Energy Transition Video Week 3, April 2024: Interconnection Woes and Reconductoring as a Key Solution

The Indiana Department of Transportation, Purdue University, and Cummins will install wireless charging technology on a quarter-mile state highway in a pilot project. 

The Biden administration signs off on two large Avangrid offshore wind projects off Massachusetts totaling 1,871 MW. 

CAISO eyes $6.1 bn of new transmission projects in PG&E service territory, with $4.6 bn earmarked to connect 4,700 MW of offshore wind and $1.5 bn for reliability. CAISO’s draft plan will also potentially tap over 38,000 MW of new solar, largely in NV and AZ, as well as 21,000 of geothermal capacity from the Imperial Valley and southern NV, and 5,600 MW of wind from ID, WY and NM.

CAISO’s future plans may be affected by SPP’s new Markets+ tariff filed with the FERC, a “significant milestone” in developing its western day-ahead electricity market starting as early as 2027. Stakeholders include multiple utilities from states including Arizona, Nevada, and Washington. Some observers are concerned CAISO’s proposed Day-Ahead market and SPP’s initiative may create potential friction, and are arguing for a single large and efficient western market.

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab interconnection analysis notes 2.6 TW of planned power projects are looking to connect to transmission, w/backlog up 27% from 2022. Solar, battery and wind projects comprise 95% of queue capacity. 

Two recent studies find re-conductoring (adding high-efficiency wire to new or existing projects) could boost new transmission capacity at relatively low cost. One report estimates reconductoring could add 64,000 GW-miles of new transmission by 2035, versus about 16,000 GW-miles using standard technologies and boost total costs by only 20%. A separate February report from Berkeley’s Haas School of Business modeled U.S. grid with similar results.