Avangrid, a sustainable energy company and part of the Iberdrola Group, has announced a pilot project with LineVision to free up additional capacity on its transmission lines for renewable energy in New York state.

The project will deploy advanced monitoring for overhead transmission lines in the Hornell, N.Y. area with the goal of reducing grid congestion by providing real-time data on where additional power can safely flow through the existing transmission infrastructure. This data and visibility could aid in linking more renewable energy resources into New York’s electrical grid and supporting the state’s clean energy goals, the companies said.

The amount of energy that electric transmission lines can safely carry is variable. Historically, the lines have been operated using “static” line ratings that tell grid operators a line’s energy capacity based on conservative and fixed values for assumed weather conditions. However, with LineVision’s monitoring Avangrid will be able to see real-time data, which the companies say allows for more flexibility to safely increase the amount of energy flowing through the transmission lines based on current conditions.

The monitoring provides “dynamic” line ratings, which determine capacity limits of power lines by combining real-time properties such as sag, temperature, and forecasted weather conditions. This results in more informed grid operations and increased carrying capacity of the transmission lines without needing to make any large grid upgrades, the companies said.

As part of the project, LineVision will partner with Avangrid’s electric utility operating company New York State Electric & Gas to install non-contact LiDAR sensors to monitor overhead transmission lines, with the goal of accelerating renewable energy adoption and progressing toward the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) goals. The sensors will be installed on two of the company’s transmission lines: One runs from Elma (Erie County) to Strykersville (Wyoming County), and the other line runs from Warsaw to Perry (both in Wyoming County).

Funding for the project was awarded to Avangrid and LineVision through round two of NYSERDA’s Future Grid Challenge program. The program addresses a recommendation contained in a Department of Public Service order released in January 2022 for the deployment of advanced transmission and distribution technologies for improved transmission utilization while supporting New York’s CLCPA goal to achieve 70% renewable electricity by 2030.