It’s no secret that power grids around the world need to expand to accommodate more renewable energy and the so-called “electrification of everything.” The latter, of course, refers to the growing trend of using electricity to power various sectors and applications that have traditionally relied on fossil fuels, such as natural gas or petroleum-based products. The electrification of everything includes the push toward electric vehicles; the transition from fossil fuel–based heating and cooling systems to electric alternatives, as well as the adoption of electric appliances; and the shift to more electric motors, furnaces, and other electric-powered equipment in manufacturing processes. Add to that the expected power needed to supply data centers and the growth of artificial intelligence-related computing, and current estimates of 50% load growth by 2050 could be vastly understated.
Yet, getting new transmission lines planned, approved, and constructed is a daunting task, often taking a decade or longer to complete. So, how can the world more quickly add transmission capacity to the system without investing enormous time and money in the process? The answer: grid enhancing technologies, or GETs.
“GETs are exciting to us because they are technologies that help us unlock quickly the additional headroom or additional capability of the grid to carry energy across the system,” Alexina Jackson, vice president of Strategic Development with AES Corp., said as a guest on The POWER Podcast. “This is something that is very important, because today, we are not making the fullest use of the electricity system as it’s built.”
The system is operated below its maximum capacity for very good reasons, specifically, to maintain reliability, but by implementing GETs, it can be operated closer to its true limits without risk of failure. “Once we have these technologies, such as dynamic line rating, which helps us visualize the dynamic and full headroom of the electrical grid, and then technologies like storage as transmission, advanced power flow control, topology optimization—they all allow us to operate the grid in its dynamic capability. By doing both these things—visualization and operation dynamically—we’re able to start making fuller use of that carrying capacity for energy, which will allow us to add additional energy more quickly, serve our customer needs more efficiently, and ultimately decarbonize faster,” Jackson said.
To read AES's white paper, visit: https://www.aes.com/sites/aes.com/files/2024-04/Smarter-Use-of-the-Dynamic-Grid-Whitepaper.pdf

160. How Grid Enhancing Technologies Are Expanding Electric Power Transmission System Capabilities

The world’s electricity grids are facing unprecedented strain as demand surges from electrification, data centers, and renewable energy integration, while aging infrastructure struggles to keep pace. Traditional approaches to grid expansion—building new transmission lines and substations—face mounting challenges including sometimes decade-long permitting processes, escalating costs that can reach billions per project, and growing public resistance to new infrastructure. This mounting pressure has created an urgent need for innovative solutions that can unlock the hidden capacity already embedded within existing transmission networks.
What Are GETs and What Do They Do?
Grid enhancing technologies (GETs) represent a transformative approach to this challenge, offering utilities the ability to safely increase power flows on existing transmission lines by up to 40% in some cases without the need for new construction. These advanced technologies—including dynamic line ratings (DLR) that adjust capacity based on real-time weather conditions, high-temperature advanced conductors that can carry significantly more current, and sophisticated power flow controllers that optimize electricity routing—work by maximizing the utilization of current infrastructure. Rather than building around bottlenecks, GETs eliminate them through smarter, more responsive grid management.
On an episode of The POWER Podcast, Anna Lafoyiannis, program lead for the integration of renewables and co-lead of the GET SET (Grid Enhancing Technologies for a Smart Energy Transition) initiative with EPRI, explained that GETs can be either hardware or software solutions. “Their purpose is to increase the capacity, efficiency, reliability, or safety of transmission lines. So, think of these as adders to your transmission lines to make them even better,” Lafoyiannis said.
“Typically, they reduce congestion costs. They improve the integration of renewables. They increase capacity. They can provide grid service applications. So, they’re really multifaceted—very helpful for the grid,” she said. “At EPRI, we think of them as kind of like a tool in a toolbox.”
The economic and environmental implications are profound. Deploying GETs can defer or eliminate the need for costly new transmission projects while accelerating the integration of renewable energy resources that are often stranded due to transmission constraints. As utilities worldwide grapple with the dual pressures of modernizing their grids and meeting ambitious clean energy targets, GETs offer a compelling path forward that leverages innovation over infrastructure expansion to create a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable electricity system.

192. Grid Enhancing Technologies Do Exactly What They Say

The POWER Podcast provides listeners with insight into the latest news and technology that is poised to affect the power industry. POWER’s Executive Editor Aaron Larson conducts interviews with leading industry experts and gets updates from insiders at power-related conferences and events held around the world.

New tracks tagged #grid enhancing technologies