As electricity demand surges across the United States, a Johns Hopkins University initiative is helping states move faster\u2014and more affordably\u2014to expand grid capacity.<\/p>\n
The project, known as Leadership in Grid Innovations for High-voltage Transmission for States (LIGHTS), recently received funding from the\u00a0<\/span>U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Electricity<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>through its\u00a0<\/span>Transmission Acceleration Grants<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>program. This initiative supports decision-makers across the\u00a0<\/span>PJM Interconnection Region<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>(PJM) in deploying alternative transmission technologies (ATTs) and grid enhancing technologies (GETs).<\/p>\n \u201cThe project addresses a very critical gap in moving cutting-edge research into practice,\u201d said Yury Dvorkin<\/a>, an associate professor of\u00a0<\/span>electrical and computer engineering<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>civil and systems engineering<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and the project\u2019s primary investigator. \u201cWe\u2019re equipping decision-makers across PJM states with the expertise and analysis they need to expand transmission capacity rapidly, reduce the cost of electricity supply, and improve grid reliability.\u201d<\/p>\n PJM coordinates wholesale electricity markets across 13 states, including Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The grids in many of these states, including Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania are facing rapid load growth, driven largely by the energy requirements of data centers.<\/p>\n The LIGHTS team is developing algorithms and models to help state governments determine where ATTs and GETs could deliver the greatest benefits in terms of cost savings, reliability improvements, and speed. With support from the DOE, the researchers are working closely with state officials across PJM to ensure their modeling reflects real-world needs and constraints.<\/p>\n \u201cWe work with state officials to understand their specific problems, that way our work and analysis can be tailored to their needs to ensure our findings are real world relevant\u201d said\u00a0<\/span>Abe Silverman<\/a>, an assistant research scholar with the\u00a0<\/span>Ralph O\u2019Connor Sustainable Energy Institute<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>(ROSEI) and a co-PI with LIGHTS. \u201cWe don\u2019t have 10 years to wait for traditional transmission projects to happen. If we want to maintain reliability, keep costs down, and stay competitive in emerging industries like AI, we need solutions that can be deployed much faster.\u201d<\/p>\n Traditional transmission expansion typically involves building new high-voltage lines\u2014a process that can take more than a decade because of permitting hurdles, land acquisition, and high construction costs.<\/p>\n LIGHTS focuses on identifying upgrades that can increase transmission capacity along existing lines, thereby reducing costs and speeding up implementation schedules. One such upgrade is the use of advanced conductors comprising modern materials, such as carbon fiber instead of aluminum steel. This change enables transmission lines to carry significantly more electricity than wires installed decades ago. By replacing aging conductors with higher-capacity versions, boost throughputs increased without the need to construct entirely new corridors.<\/p>\n Another upgrade is dynamic line ratings, which use real-time weather and system data to determine how much electricity a transmission line can safely carry. Conventional static ratings assume worse-case weather conditions and can underestimate available capacity.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of assuming the worst possible weather at all times, dynamic ratings update based on actual conditions,\u201d said Dvorkin, who is also a core researcher with ROSEI. \u201cWhen capacity is higher, you improve efficiency. When it\u2019s lower, you improve reliability.\u201d<\/p>\n LIGHTS also draws on the Infrastructure Centric Adaptation and Resiliency in the U.S. (ICARUS), a ROSEI data initiative that compiles detailed transmission and capacity expansion data for the PJM region. Integrating ICARUS strengthens the rigor and transparency of the analysis, allowing the team to assess how targeted ATT deployments could relieve bottlenecks and potentially defer multibillion-dollar conventional transmission projects.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a theoretical exercise,\u201d Dvorkin said. \u201cOur goal is to provide actionable insights that help states move faster, spend smarter, and strengthen reliability. If we use the grid we already have more intelligently, we can unlock enormous value in a fraction of the time it takes to build something new.\u201d<\/p>\n