Edward Conard

Top Ten New York Times Bestselling Author

  • “…a fresh argument for the productive value of inequality.” - David Autor, Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • “…reminds us that inequality sends a signal of what society lacks most, in America’s case, entrepreneurship and risk taking.” - Lawrence Lindsey, CEO, The Lindsey Group, former Director of the National Economic Council
  • “…a fresh argument for the productive value of inequality.” - David Autor, Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • “Unintended Consequences is far smarter and more thought-provoking than most economics written for the general public” - Greg Mankiw, Harvard University, Former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors
  • “Unintended Consequences is full of substance, it is one of the must-read books of the year, and once I finish it I will be giving it a second read through right away.” - Tyler Cowen, Professor, George Mason University
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  • “…challenges misconceptions that distort our economic debates.” - Arthur Brooks, President of the American Enterprise Institute
  • “…reminds us that inequality sends a signal of what society lacks most, in America’s case, entrepreneurship and risk taking.” - Lawrence Lindsey, CEO, The Lindsey Group, former Director of the National Economic Council
  • “…a must-read for serious students of economic policy.” - Glenn Hubbard, Dean, Columbia Business School, and former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers
  • “Unintended Consequences offers deep and well-argued analyses on almost every issue.” - The New York Times
  • “…challenges misconceptions that distort our economic debates.” - Arthur Brooks, President of the American Enterprise Institute
  • “…a must-read for serious students of economic policy.” - Glenn Hubbard, Dean, Columbia Business School, and former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers
Upside of Inequality Oxford Unintended Consequences

AI Summary. U.S. federal grants are funding technologies that raise the capacity of existing power lines—such as devices that automatically redeploy power around overloaded lines and sensors that measure in real time how weather affects line capacity—which are cheaper and faster than building new transmission. A Minnesota pilot found such sensors could increase transmission capacity by about 40%.

Scott Patterson Wall Street Journal
Date Posted:
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New technologies allow electric utilities to monitor transmission capacity in real-time, a system known as dynamic line rating. A pilot project in Minnesota showed this technology could increase existing transmission line capacity by about 40%.

Can new technologies raise capacity of existing power lines cheaply?

Core argument: A Great River Energy pilot project in Minnesota showed that Heimdall's sensors, known in the industry as "magic balls," could increase transmission capacity by about 40% by measuring in real time how weather and other factors affect power lines.

The country’s aging power grid is about to leap into the 21st century as the Biden administration scrambles to meet a coming burst of new power demand. To boost the grid’s capacity, the administration is pushing to step up efficiency of existing power lines with new technologies. The upgrades are far cheaper and faster than big transmission projects. In Illinois, Algonquin Power won a $42.9 million grant to install devices that automatically redeploy power when lines are overloaded. Virginia’s Dominion Energy won $33.7 million for a project that includes devices that will let it adjust power distribution in response to changing conditions on the grid. In Minnesota, a pilot project by Great River Energy showed that Heimdall’s sensors could increase transmission capacity by about 40%. Known in the industry as “magic balls,” the sensors measure in real time how weather conditions and other factors affect power lines. When the wind blows, for example, power lines are cooler, allowing for more capacity.

Takeaways by Macro Roundup® AI

  1. A Great River Energy pilot project in Minnesota showed that Heimdall's sensors, known in the industry as "magic balls," could increase transmission capacity by about 40% by measuring in real time how weather and other factors affect power lines.
  2. The Biden administration is pushing technologies that boost the efficiency of existing power lines, upgrades that are far cheaper and faster than big transmission projects, to meet a coming burst of new power demand.
  3. Algonquin Power won a $42.9 million grant to install devices in Illinois that automatically redeploy power when lines are overloaded, and Dominion Energy won $33.7 million for a Virginia project including devices to adjust power distribution as grid conditions change.

Related Articles:

  • The U.S. Urgently Needs a Bigger Grid. Here’s a Fast Solution — Replacing existing power lines with advanced conductors made from state-of-the-art materials, a technique known as advanced reconductoring, could roughly double electric grid capacity in many parts of the US and accommodate much more wind and solar power. Many US utilities have been slow to adopt it due to unfamiliarity with the technology and regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles.
  • Resurgent US Electricity Demand Sparks Power Grid Warnings — US electricity demand is growing after years of stagnation, driven by artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and announced industrial projects, prompting warnings about power grid stability. Nationwide forecasts for five-year electricity demand growth rose from 2.6% to 4.7%, based on utility filings to federal regulators, with retail sales projected at a record.
  • Electricity 2024 — More than 8,000 data centers operate globally, with about 33% in the United States, 16% in Europe, and close to 10% in China. US data center electricity use is projected to rise from roughly 200 TWh in 2022, about 4% of US electricity demand, to almost 260 TWh, or 6% of total demand.
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