Transmission

Startup nabs $60M for high-tech cables to help speed clean energy rollout

The grid needs much more capacity to bring clean energy online. TS Conductor’s tech could help — and federal and state policies are pushing utilities to adopt it.

By Jeff St. John . 31 July 2024

Carbon composite core being produced at startup TS Conductor's factory in Southern California. — A spool of carbon composite core made at TS Conductor’s factory in Huntington Beach, California. The core will be encapsulated in aluminum to form the advanced power cables the startup is producuing for utilities. (TS Conductor)

Transmission

The US has more clean energy projects planned than the grid can handle

Without major policy reforms and grid upgrades, much of the 1.4-terawatt queue of solar, wind and battery projects may never get built, two new reports find.

By Jeff St. John . 20 April 2022
Utilities

Chart: US utilities are spending less on making electricity and more on getting it to customers

Cheap renewables are a good thing, but customers will likely be stuck with a hefty bill for grid upgrades.

By Jeff St. John, Maria Virginia Olano . 7 January 2022
Transmission

Grid operator MISO's transmission plan would split its region in two

Divvying up costs between MISO's north and south regions could solve a long-running fight over who pays for new transmission lines. But will the plan pass muster with federal regulators?

By Andy Kowalczyk . 7 December 2021
Transmission

New transmission tech can easily double clean energy capacity. Will utilities buy it?

Startup TS Conductor says its product can boost electricity transmission without costly rebuilds. Policy shifts from U.S. regulators would help.

By Jeff St. John . 17 November 2021
Solar

Gigawatts of solar could be built in the open land around US interstate highways

Solar development at interstate interchanges could feed the grid, charge EVs and steer money to local communities. The Biden admin is now behind the idea.

By Jeff St. John . 26 October 2021
Utilities

Utility Entergy stymied transmission projects that might have prevented some New Orleans blackouts

Grid planning served Entergy's economic self-interest rather than reliability, critics contend.

By Andy Kowalczyk . 30 September 2021
Clean energy

What's the trick to keep grids humming along on solar, wind and batteries alone?

A Department of Energy program is testing a new type of "grid-forming" inverter that could make it possible.

By Jeff St. John . 29 September 2021
Transmission

New York OKs underground and underwater transmission lines to deliver upstate clean energy to NYC

Can buried lines help major transmission projects avoid the battles that too often prevent rural clean power from reaching cities?

By Jeff St. John . 21 September 2021
Utilities

Alphabet's R&D hub is marshaling its computing muscle to model fast-changing electrical grids

X (formerly known as Google X) wants to virtualize power grids to speed clean energy adoption. Will utilities and grid operators get on board?

By Jeff St. John . 17 September 2021
Video

How a company turned used Nissan Leaf EV batteries into moneymakers

The electrical grid needs more energy storage to handle the influx of renewables and electric vehicles.

By Julian Spector . 14 September 2021

Transmission

Startup nabs $60M for high-tech cables to help speed clean energy rollout

The US has more clean energy projects planned than the grid can handle

Chart: US utilities are spending less on making electricity and more on getting it to customers

Grid operator MISO's transmission plan would split its region in two

New transmission tech can easily double clean energy capacity. Will utilities buy it?

Gigawatts of solar could be built in the open land around US interstate highways

Utility Entergy stymied transmission projects that might have prevented some New Orleans blackouts

What's the trick to keep grids humming along on solar, wind and batteries alone?

New York OKs underground and underwater transmission lines to deliver upstate clean energy to NYC

Alphabet's R&D hub is marshaling its computing muscle to model fast-changing electrical grids

How a company turned used Nissan Leaf EV batteries into moneymakers