New Effort Exploring Ways to Reduce T&D Loss and Save Power

The U.S. loses roughly 300 billion kWh of power from transmission and distribution (T&D) line loss. Improvements in T&D technologies and efficiency would mean utilities could generate less power and lower their carbon emissions as a result. 

A joint effort by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), independent system operators and utilities is working on doing just that.

The initiative was created as an extension of efforts by the group to identify and incorporate best practices in this country and elsewhere to increase transmission line efficiency. Coupled with those best practices and new Smart Grid technologies, improved transmission efficiency would help support the creation of an intelligent grid capable of providing reliable, secure and green energy.

"Improving the technology and efficiency of the transmission system is a key component in developing a smarter national grid," according to Arshad Mansoor, vice president of EPRI's Power Delivery and Utilization section. "This collaboration will go hand-in-hand with ongoing efforts to extract new efficiencies—from generation to end use—throughout the entire industry," he added.

Independent nonprofit EPRI does research and development in the areas of generation, delivery and consumption of electricity.

"This is a timely initiative in that it comes as the government and industry work together to improve the efficiency of the transmission system. Clearly, implementing new technologies on the bulk power system would benefit both the industry and consumers, while at the same time, reducing the sector's carbon footprint," FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said.

The initiative followed six meetings by primary stakeholders in the U.S. and Poland held to find best practices and technology improvements needed to enhance the efficiency of bulk power. An executive committee of the group OK'd the recommendations in a meeting hosted by Wellinghoff.

   Quick Take: We couldn't agree more. Energy conservation through improved T&D efficiencies is every bit as important in a reliable, green energy future as integrating the power available from renewable sources. And, like it or not, more transmission lines are going to be needed to take the energy supplied by remote renewable generation sites to the country's power-hungry population centers. They should be as efficient as we can make them. The more efficient they are, the fewer we need to build.