Smart Wires today announced that its advanced power flow control technology—SmartValve™—is the focal technology to be used in two projects funded under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program, per the DOE’s official announcement on 18 October. SmartValve will enhance grid flexibility and the resilience of the power system in Texas and Vermont, in projects led by Algonquin Power Fund America Inc. and EPRI respectively.
In Texas, Algonquin Power Fund America Inc. is leading a project that will increase transmission capacity of the existing grid by approximately 300 MW and resolve stability issues by rerouting power flows with SmartValves. This will reduce curtailment of clean energy, support development of new generation sites, improve access to clean affordable electricity for consumers, and mitigate climate impact risks.
EPRI will lead a project which deploys SmartValves at interregional tie lines between New York and Vermont to improve operational flexibility and systematically increase regional transfer capacity for renewable generation. This project also includes a series of power system studies to evaluate the broader system impact of wide-scale national use of Smart Wires’ technology.
“We are delighted to partner with forward-thinking utilities, generation developers, and a premier research institution like EPRI on these exciting new projects for the U.S. market,” said Joanna Lohkamp, CEO at Smart Wires.
“Funding programs like GRIP, combined with recent regulatory changes, are paving the way forward for wide-scale use of grid enhancing technologies in the U.S. to enable a net zero grid and ultimately bring clean energy to all” she said.
The GRIP program was established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to investment in projects that enhance grid flexibility, improve the resilience of the power system against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change, and ensure American communities have access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity when and where they need it.
SmartValve is deployed by multiple utilities around the world, delivering 3.5 gigawatts of extra capacity on existing grids while enabling over $1.6 billion of savings to consumers.
More details on these and other projects announced by the DOE are available at: https://www.energy.gov/gdo/grid-resilience-and-innovation-partnerships-grip-program-projects. Specifically, there are project factsheets on the Algonquin Power Fund America Inc. led project here and on the EPRI led project here.
Smart Wires is the world’s leading grid enhancing technology and services provider. We quickly solve bottlenecks and grid issues to create extra capacity and provide advice on the policies, market design and solutions critical to creating the digital grid. Headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, Smart Wires has a global workforce of visionary, tenacious industry-leading experts spread across four continents. Together we are paving the way to energy certainty, on a global scale. Working with our customers, industry partners, policymakers and regulators, we are transforming the grid into a digital, secure and accessible platform capable of delivering net zero, new business models, jobs and prosperity.