Quigley Celebrates Executive Order to Expand Power Line Technology

Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), Co-Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, released a statement following the Biden Administration’s announcement of key efforts to strengthen America’s electric grid. The announcement includes the expanded use of modern grid technologies like high-performance conductors and dynamic line ratings, which Quigley has been advocating for since 2019.

“I have long believed in the need to prepare our electric grid for the realities of increasing energy demand brought on by onshoring of manufacturing, AI and data centers, and the electrification of our economy, spurred on by the IRA, while also securing our clean energy future. As a result of the study I directed on advanced grid technologies, we now have a greater understanding of the power of how technology can help us create the energy grid America needs. Advanced technologies enable transmission lines to carry more power, lower costs, and enhance the reliability of our transmission network,” said Quigley. “I am glad to see the Biden Administration understands the need to bolster our grid and wants to ensure the investments we have already made towards clean energy can be effectively harnessed.”

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 was included in the Fiscal Year 2020 Energy and Water Appropriations report language and eventually led to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission mandating their expanded use. In the time since, Quigley has continued to build on this request and advocated for additional studies to further understand the impacts of increased bulk transmission efficiency and Dynamic Line Rating technology on retail power rates.