No. of Recommendations: 13
It seems very likely that it is INSANE to considering high voltage lines at that cost. There is a way to double grid capacity, make it safer, and not have to add a single tower or clear any environmental regulations. It’s called “Reconductoring” the lines.
Most of our existing power lines consist of a steel core surrounded by strands of aluminum.
In reconductoring, advanced conductors replace the steel core with a core made of a composite material, such as carbon fiber that’s not only lighter but stronger. This might seem like a very subtle shift in materials and design; however, it allows power lines to operate at higher temperatures and sag less, significantly increasing their load capacity.
Whereas advanced conductors cost 2-4 times more than conventional power lines, upgrading existing lines using advanced conductors actually costs less than half what a new power line would cost because it does away with much of the construction spending as well as fees from permitting for new rights-of-way, with power companies only needing to apply for a maintenance permit to put new wires, the researchers have found. oilprice.com - This Might Be The Fastest Way to Double US Grid CapacityAlong with this is would be fairly trivial to add remote monitoring and the ability to shut down high tension wires during significant weather events, especially if a distributed model of conduction was employed to go around lines that had been temporarily shut off. Going underground with all of this is fantasy!
