Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley from Illinois commended the Biden Administration’s efforts to strengthen America’s electric grid. As a Co-Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, Quigley has been advocating for the use of modern grid technologies since 2019.
In a statement, Quigley emphasized the importance of preparing the electric grid to meet the increasing energy demands resulting from factors such as onshoring of manufacturing, AI and data centers, and the electrification of the economy. Advanced grid technologies like high-performance conductors and dynamic line ratings can enhance transmission lines’ capacity to carry more power, reduce costs, and improve the reliability of the transmission network.
Quigley expressed his satisfaction with the Biden Administration’s recognition of the need to fortify the grid and leverage investments made in clean energy effectively. In 2020, Quigley requested that the Department of Energy conduct a case study on the reliability, resilience, and economic benefits of technologies such as power flow control, topology optimization, and Dynamic Line Ratings. This study contributed to federal mandates for expanded use of these technologies.
Moving forward, Quigley plans to continue advocating for further studies to explore how increased bulk transmission efficiency and Dynamic Line Rating technology can impact retail power rates.