Enhancing Power Grid Resiliency

Summary

The U.S. electrical grid must significantly expand its capacity to meet growing demands from electrification and renewable energy sources. Studies, such as those from the Department of Energy and Princeton University, estimate that by 2050, the grid’s transmission capacity will need to increase between two to five times its current levels. Specifically, grid transmission expansion is expected to require a 60 percent to 100 percent increase in capacity by 2035 to support the shift to a zero-carbon grid, as per President Biden’s 2035 clean energy goals. This expansion will be crucial as economies and lifestyles shift toward greater electrification and connectivity, i.e., the adoption of electric vehicles, rapid data center growth, etc., but also to support the adoption of renewables like wind and solar, given that these sources introduce unique challenges and requirements to grid infrastructure.

​Expanding the grid requires not only building new infrastructure but also upgrading existing systems to meet modern demands. This includes adding thousands of miles of high-capacity transmission lines to efficiently connect renewable energy sources to demand centers, which will be central to increasing grid capacity.

Equally important is enhancing current infrastructure with advanced technologies—such as reconductoring with high-capacity conductors and implementing predictive analytics—to reach capacity goals while minimizing the need for entirely new lines. This balanced approach helps preserve existing assets while supporting a more resilient and efficient grid.

Ensuring that existing infrastructure remains reliable and resilient is essential to optimizing grid efficiency and minimizing unnecessary expenses on reactive maintenance and emergency repairs. By proactively maintaining and modernizing the current transmission network, the high costs associated with unexpected failures and outages can be avoided, and those cost savings can be redirected to the expansion of the grid.

This assurance of maintaining a resilient infrastructure also supports uninterrupted power delivery, which is crucial for public safety, especially during extreme weather events. Investing in preventive technologies and grid-enhancing measures, such as advanced sensors and fault detection systems, reduces both the frequency and severity of outages and extends the life of existing assets, which maximizes the value of limited funding sources.

This article details how IND Technology’s early fault detection (EFD) provides a groundbreaking solution to strengthen grid reliability and resilience, which supports the achievement of critical energy infrastructure goals.
 

Supporting federal initiatives

To help address this challenge, the U.S. government has introduced crucial initiatives to enhance grid modernization and security. Key among these are the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program and the Advancing Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) Act of 2024. The GRIP program, initiated by the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), supports the development and deployment of technologies that increase the resilience, reliability and flexibility of the nation’s power grid. Through funding aimed at both large-scale grid modernization projects and community-based initiatives, GRIP fosters innovation that directly addresses vulnerabilities within current transmission and distribution networks.

Complementing GRIP, the GETs Act of 2024, introduced by Senators Peter Welch and Angus King, specifically targets the implementation of technologies that can optimize grid performance without necessitating extensive new construction. This legislation encourages investments in tools that expand grid capacity, enhance operational efficiency and improve reliability, with incentives to encourage the adoption of such technologies.

With a focus on solutions like dynamic line ratings (DLR), power flow control and advanced sensor systems, the GETs Act aims to bridge existing infrastructure gaps as the nation moves toward increased electrification and renewable integration. If enacted, the bill would catalyze investments projected to yield a tenfold return by 2030 by significantly reducing annual energy production costs and enhancing overall grid efficiency.

EFD technology provides a robust and compelling solution to enhance the Grid Reliability Improvement Program (GRIP) and Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) initiatives. EFD combines advanced sensors and software to identify potential faults early, thereby enabling proactive maintenance and repair measures that boost both grid reliability and safety. It also enhances the effectiveness of other grid technologies.

For example, traditional line ratings have typically been conservative and set to accommodate worst-case environmental scenarios such as high temperatures or low wind speeds. Dynamic line rating (DLR) was developed to allow utilities to adjust transmission capacity in real-time based on actual environmental and operational conditions, thereby maximizing efficiency. However, DLR increases line current based solely on environmental data without considering the physical condition of the grid. While valuable, this approach could inadvertently overstress grid components with hidden vulnerabilities, which could lead to faults or outages.

Integrating EFD with DLR provides utilities with added security; they can safely increase power flow knowing the grid’s integrity is intact, thereby reducing the risk of outages from unaddressed weaknesses. EFD not only optimizes but also safeguards power transmission, which makes it a key component in advancing a resilient and efficient power grid.

This proactive approach not only aligns with the GRIP program’s goals to enhance resilience against extreme weather events but also fulfills the GETs Act’s requirements for technologies that optimize grid capacity and efficiency. Additionally, EFD contributes to environmental safety by detecting and addressing vegetation encroachment, which is a frequent cause of outages; and worse, grid-related fires. Through these capabilities, EFD represents a vital step toward a more resilient, efficient and safe grid infrastructure that supports the broader goals of both GRIP funding and GETs legislation.
 

Advanced sensors impact on grid resilience and reliability

EFD technology enables utility providers to better manage rising energy demands by ensuring that existing power lines operate at full capacity while reducing the frequency and cost of unplanned outages. With advanced systems, utilities can prevent congestion and downtime to ensure more consistent power delivery to meet growing electricity needs across the country.

This is accomplished through the deployment of advanced sensors that detect and pinpoint defects and/or vulnerabilities (within an accuracy of 30 feet) before they develop into electrical faults that can result in damage to infrastructure, customer outages and safety threats (Figure 1) such as downed wires and wildfires.

Proactive versus reactive maintenance and cost reduction

EFD transforms the traditional maintenance approach by shifting it from a reactive to a proactive model. Rather than responding to unexpected outages or damage, utility providers using EFD can address issues before they evolve into costly failures. This proactive approach leads to considerable cost savings by reducing or even eliminating emergency repair needs. Maintenance can be planned during off-peak hours, which minimizes disruption and lowers labor costs. The long-term financial benefits for utility companies are substantial, as the reduction in emergency repairs and downtime translates to a more efficient allocation of resources.
 

Environmental and customer impacts

According to the latest estimates, the U.S, government spends more than $3 billion annually to fight wildfires, which are estimated to result in losses of hundreds of billions each year in economic costs and property damage. Over the last decade, wildfires have become a more pressing and prevalent problem in the U.S., where larger fires in greater numbers and with more extreme fire behavior seem to have become more commonplace.

While statistically more than 50% of the total acreage affected by wildfires in the last 15 years has occurred in just five states—Alaska (15%), California (14.6%), Oregon (8.8%), Idaho (8%) and Texas (7%)—no state is immune. The most recent fire in Hawaii occurred in a somewhat unexpected place since the region affected was assumed to be too “lush” for wildfire to spread so quickly and to any great degree. But it happened—and it happened quickly—destroying more than 2,700 structures and killing 102 people. The cause of the fire has been determined to be the result of an electrical fault followed by mismanaged extinguishing efforts.

From a much broader perspective, it is estimated that around 10 percent of wildfires are caused by damaged or aged/degraded electrical power systems worldwide. Ten percent may seem like a low number. But when climate change is considered, i.e., where hot and dry conditions are becoming more commonplace and severe, which leads to vegetation drying out and landscapes becoming more flammable, coupled with the fact that electrical distribution/transmission systems are rather ubiquitous in our ecosystem, the impact of that 10 percent can be enormous.

As climate conditions persist, proactive identification of weaknesses in the grid can serve to reduce or eliminate the threat of electrically induced wildfires, which will, in turn, lower costs significantly, protect the environment (including public and private infrastructure) and save lives.

All electrical utility companies are required by the U.S. government to include vegetation management as a key element of their wildfire mitigation plan. Traditionally, this involves crews performing manual inspections, which is a time-consuming and labor-intensive (high-cost) process. Although technologies such as drones exist to inspect and monitor vegetation encroachment, these technologies provide situational and intermittent awareness, not continuous awareness. In other words, they report on the condition of the vegetation for a specific place on a specific date/time and don’t report on it again until the specific place recurs in the inspection rotation.

To that point, the EFD units constantly report on system health and are capable of reporting on vegetation encroachment when vegetation gets to within 24 inches of the lines—well before it touches the conductor. EFD reports on the condition of vegetation encroachment every second of every hour of every day using proprietary high-frequency monitoring technology. This capability is especially critical in fire-prone areas where vegetation contact with power lines can spark devastating wildfires. By ensuring that transmission corridors remain clear, EFD contributes to environmental conservation and reduces the risk of fires that would otherwise lead to significant ecological damage.

The impact of EFD technology on customers is equally profound. By preventing faults before they lead to power outages, EFD improves the customer experience by ensuring a more reliable energy supply. Reduced outages mean fewer disruptions to daily life and business operations, which contributes to an enhanced quality of life and economic stability. Additionally, frequent outages during extreme weather conditions—whether high heat or cold—pose safety risks to customers. Reliable power access is essential to maintaining safe indoor temperatures, especially for those most vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. The capacity of EFD to prevent such outages addresses these concerns and enhance customer safety and welfare.
 

Looking ahead

The EFD solution is poised to play a transformative role in the modernization of the U.S. power grid. Through advanced sensing capabilities and proactive fault detection, EFD aligns closely with the objectives of the GETs Act of 2024. This innovative technology not only enhances grid reliability and reduces wildfire risks but also lowers maintenance costs, minimizes environmental impact and improves customer satisfaction and safety. As the U.S. continues to adopt clean energy sources and address the challenges of a modernized grid, this new technology offers a promising path forward for a resilient and efficient energy infrastructure.