Building a Future-Ready Grid: PG&E’s Strategic Framework for Advanced Conductors

As electricity demand surges across the U.S. — driven by the electrification of homes and vehicles, the rapid expansion of AI-powered data centers and aggressive climate goals — utilities are under mounting pressure to deliver more power, more reliably and more sustainably.

Traditional solutions like building new power plants and transmission lines are not sufficient on their own. In response, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), with advisory support from WSP, has developed a forward-thinking framework to integrate advanced conductors into its grid planning strategy.

Rising Demand Meets Infrastructure Constraints

The modern grid is facing unprecedented stress. California, like many states, is racing to meet decarbonization targets while accommodating explosive growth in electricity consumption. However, the high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) system — long the backbone of power transmission — is increasingly strained. Building new infrastructure is costly and time-consuming, often taking years to complete.

To bridge this gap, PG&E is turning to advanced conductors, innovative technologies that use new materials and configurations to significantly increase the capacity and efficiency of existing transmission lines. These conductors are designed to overcome the limitations of traditional wires, offering a faster, more cost-effective way to enhance grid performance.

A Strategic Framework for Advanced Conductor Implementation

Recognizing the potential of advanced conductors, PG&E and WSP developed a comprehensive framework to guide their deployment. This framework aligns with regulatory mandates such as FERC Order 1920 and California Senate Bill 1006, which require utilities to evaluate grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) before proposing new transmission projects. The framework was guided by industry benchmarking and PG&E’s prior experiences with advanced conductors. Other recent technological deployments were considered along with PG&E’s existing practices and procedures.

Key components of the framework include:

• Product certification: Establishing a process to evaluate and certify advanced conductor technologies for use in PG&E’s system.
• Solution identification: Defining criteria and process to identify where advanced conductors are the optimal solution in response to a specified system need. This includes evaluating the circuit capacity need while considering existing asset health and unique characteristics or constraints.
• Conductor selection: Matching specific conductor types to project needs based on performance characteristics, cost effectiveness and operational context.
• Application considerations: Developing processes, standards, specifications and training required to effectively deploy selected advanced conductors through the design, procurement, construction, operation and maintenance phases of projects.

This structured approach enables PG&E to rapidly assess the suitability of advanced conductors during early project scoping and engineering phases.

Supporting Infrastructure and Flexibility

Deploying advanced conductors is not just about replacing wires. PG&E’s strategy also includes consideration for modernizing collateral infrastructure, such as tower reinforcements, foundations and substation upgrades to ensure the grid can fully leverage the increased capacity and efficiency. By addressing these needs during early project scoping and engineering, PG&E ensures that decisions to use advanced conductors account for the cost implications of collateral modernization.

Through implementation of the strategic framework, PG&E is discovering other possible application scenarios for advanced conductors beyond capacity increases. For example, PG&E is exploring the application of advanced conductors for transmission line spans over complicated water crossings. This application scenario provides opportunities to reduce structure heights, reduce foundation loads and reduce visual impacts.

The framework is designed to be flexible and adaptive, recognizing that technologies and strategies will evolve over time. PG&E plans to revisit and refine the framework regularly, incorporating lessons learned, benchmarking against industry peers and updating standards as needed.

A Model for the Industry

PG&E’s initiative is a model for how utilities can meet rising power demands while advancing decarbonization goals. By proactively integrating advanced conductors and other GETs like dynamic line ratings and advanced power flow controllers into the project planning and scoping phase, PG&E is helping to shape a resilient, cost effective and future-ready transmission system.

As other utilities face similar challenges, PG&E’s framework offers a replicable path forward; one that balances innovation, regulation and practical deployment to deliver cleaner, more reliable energy across California and beyond.