Neurons boost grid capacity

Great River Energy and Heimdall share dynamic line rating project results

One year ago, Great River Energy started the largest dynamic line rating (DLR) deployment in the United States with the goal of getting more capacity out of its existing transmission lines. The cooperative partnered with Heimdall Power to install 50 “Neurons” on 10 transmission lines spanning 175 miles.

Now, after 12 months with the DLR sensors at work, Great River Energy has found major capacity gains and projects $3.175 million in avoided congestion costs over five years.

Heimdall’s sphere-shaped DLR sensors collect real-time information about the line and its environment with the goal of increasing capacity, or the amount of electricity that can flow down the line. They can be easily installed by autonomous drones or line technicians on energized high-voltage power lines to adjust the line’s capabilities to current weather conditions.

“We are laser focused on achieving our mission of providing affordable and reliable electricity to our member-owners,” said Great River Energy Vice President and Chief Transmission Officer Priti Patel. “This technology will help us unlock grid congestion and achieve additional transmission capacity from our existing infrastructure, which our members have already invested in.”

By understanding the real-time capacity of power lines, Great River Energy can set safe, new operational limits to keep costs low and integrate more resources, including renewable energy, into the existing grid. This makes electricity more reliable and affordable for member owners. It also can help the cooperative delay or eliminate capital investments in some new transmission lines, allowing those dollars to be reprioritized toward other projects the cooperative’s members need.

Earlier this month, Great River Energy and Heimdall Power released a report, “Grid Optimization Gets Real: One Year Inside America’s Largest DLR Deployment,” that highlights the real-world benefits of DLR — benefits that are especially critical in an era of rising demand, aging infrastructure and increasingly extreme weather. In the first year, Great River Energy unlocked up to 63% more transmission capacity during peak demand.

“DLR has promised more capacity for decades, but we needed to know if it could actually deliver for our system under real conditions,” said Michael Craig, Great River Energy’s manager of energy and distribution management systems. “One year later we’ve gained real, operational value — not just theoretical gains — and a solid foundation for extending that value across more of our grid.”

The results of the project are encapsulated in the report, which outlines how Great River Energy scaled Heimdall Power’s end-to-end DLR solution to deliver measurable value to its member-owner cooperatives and 1.7 million customers.