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Labs test high-capacity electric transmissionlines- Technology could save billions

March 27, 2003 /

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New technologies that could save billions of dollars by moving electricity more efficiently from power plants to homes and businesses will be tested at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

USA Today

The new National Transmission Technology Research Center is a partnership between Oak Ridge, the Tennessee Valley Authority and private industry.

Already, the center is testing a composite-core transmissionline developed by 3M that could carry two to three times as much electricity as conventional lines, officials announced Tuesday.

That could radically upgrade the nation’s power grid without having to build more transmission towers or acquire new rights of way, said Joaquin Delgado, 3M’s research chief.

The high-capacity wires could help deal with an expected 25% spike in power demand over the next 10 years, advocates say.

At the same time, utilities facing market restructuring have reduced their spending on research and development that could lead to new technologies.

"We have to raise the awareness of doing nothing, letting our transmission grid continue down the path of low power quality and unreliability," said James Glotfelty, senior policy adviser to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.

Reliability problems with the nation’s power transmission system are costing an estimated $100 billion annually and power quality problems are costing another $25 billion, Glotfelty said.

Lab director Bill Madia said 1,300 to 1,400 power plants will be built over the next 20 years to meet demand, but "the linchpin of this overall strategy is the ability to move that power from where it is generated to your home."

Forming the technology research center is a good start, TVA Chairman Glenn McCullough said.

"This is not a sprint, it is a marathon," McCullough said. "But we have the resolve, we have the commitment and we have the resources to get the job done."

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2003-03-26-power-lines_x.htm