**London**: Significant technological investments are being made to modernise electricity transmission and distribution systems, ensuring reliability and resilience amid increasing global power demands. Experts advocate for condition-based maintenance, AI analytics, and IoT solutions to enhance grid performance and efficiency in response to evolving challenges.
Enhancements to the electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure have become increasingly vital in response to the surging global demand for power and the growing challenges faced by the power grid. Significant efforts are being directed towards not only increasing generation through the construction of new power plants but also improving the grid itself, ensuring reliability and resilience.
Key investments are being made in technologies such as battery energy storage systems (BESS), smart grid infrastructure, and advanced transmission lines. These enhancements are essential for facilitating better grid monitoring and control systems that enable quicker responses to fluctuations in demand and disruptions influenced by weather or equipment failures. John Russell, senior director of Solution Consulting at AspenTech, emphasises the necessity for innovations across various sectors, stating that “needed enhancements span across condition monitoring, advanced data analytics, fire mitigation, and improved system control mechanisms.” He highlights the importance of reliable systems for delivering consistent electricity to consumers while advocating for condition-based maintenance and AI-powered asset management for proactive performance optimisation.
Brandon Young, CEO of Payless Power, supports this view, stressing the critical role of predictive maintenance technologies that monitor equipment like turbines and transformers in real-time to avert potential failures, thus ensuring efficient power generation. His commentary underscores a trend among utilities and grid operators, who are increasingly depending on data analytics to bolster the reliability of power generation and distribution.
Michael Bennett, chief transformation officer at Powin, also echoes these sentiments by advocating for a comprehensive approach that employs new technologies aimed at enhancing data analytics. Bennett elaborates on the need for IoT sensors to facilitate real-time data collection and monitoring, allowing operators to receive actionable insights into system performance and potential issues. Notably, Thomas L. Keefe, a leader in Deloitte’s Power, Utilities & Renewables Sector, adds that increasing visibility and control via advanced grid technologies is fundamental to improving grid reliability. He notes how embedded sensors provide real-time data on energy flow and equipment health, helping operators anticipate equipment failures before they arise.
To further enhance efficiency, significant upgrades to transmission infrastructure are being initiated, particularly as the department evolves towards digitalisation. Matt Smith, who leads Itron’s grid management strategy, advocates for integrated solutions, including distributed intelligence systems for real-time diagnostics and predictive analytics, as mechanisms to uphold grid reliability. He highlights that traditional centralized grids, while effective, are vulnerable to cascading failures, particularly during extreme weather events. Transitioning to a decentralized model that includes distributed generation can improve resilience and reduce outages.
In this context, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and their batteries have emerged as critical assets that can provide backup power during outages, further bolstering grid reliability. Young specifies the replacement of aging infrastructure with weather-resilient materials as pivotal in modernising the grid and ensuring swift recovery from outages.
Ongoing construction of infrastructure projects, such as the New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project by Jersey Central Power & Light (part of FirstEnergy Corp.), aims to enhance electric reliability in key areas, significantly focusing on historical outage data. This specific project, commencing in December 2024, aims to upgrade power lines in three Morris County communities, responding to regions with a history of frequent outages.
The U.S. Department of Energy has also committed substantial funding, amounting to $2.2 billion for various electric transmission and microgrid projects to enhance grid capacity and resilience. With this financial backing, multiple state-level initiatives are underway to install advanced conductor cables and facilitate the transfer of renewable energy resources, signalling a concerted national effort to integrate more renewable sources into the energy mix.
As the energy landscape continues transitioning amid increasing demand from sectors such as data centres and the rising electrification of transportation, experts like Jon M. Williams, CEO of Viridi, note that the current system needs adaptation to cope with the evolving complexity in energy management. He asserts that investments in intelligently managed distributed energy storage systems may serve to stabilise the grid while providing myriad benefits.
Moreover, the incorporation of digital twins to model the grid’s dynamics is gaining traction. This innovation aids in managing bidirectional power flow and optimising investments in energy infrastructure, as discussed by Ildi Telegrafi, a policy fellow at the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure. This digital representation of the grid allows operators to simulate ‘what if’ scenarios, ultimately supporting strategic investments based on real-time data.
Cybersecurity also remains an essential aspect, especially with the increasing connectivity of IoT devices within power systems. Shankar Somasundaram, CEO of Asimily, stresses that protecting operational technology against cyber vulnerabilities is critical for safeguarding grid reliability. Power systems increasingly require robust cybersecurity measures to ensure the integrity of operations as digitisation progresses.
In conclusion, as the push for a more intelligent and resilient power grid continues, advancements in technology, data analytics, and integrated systems are fundamentally transforming how electricity is managed and delivered, preparing utilities for the demands of a modern energy landscape.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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