Hitachi Energy and Grid United, an independent electrical transmission company, recently announced a collaboration to deliver high-voltage direct current technology for Grid United transmission projects that will interconnect the eastern and western regional power grids in the U.S.
“These projects will dramatically boost transmission capacity across the US to support the urgent need for smooth sharing of power between energy markets at a time of drastically increasing demand for electricity,” Hitachi Energy and Grid United said.
The projects “will help overcome one of the most persistent bottlenecks in the energy transition in the US by bridging the east-west divide. They also will play an important role in supporting the U.S. government’s commitment to accelerating the energy transition, and specific stated priorities of the U.S. Department of Energy,” the companies said.
Under an innovative approach known as a capacity reservation agreement, Hitachi Energy will provide HVDC technology to support the development of multiple Grid United HVDC interconnections.
The multi-contract framework, introduced by Hitachi Energy, is one of the first of new business models for the U.S., the companies said.
“This new approach allows Hitachi Energy to plan in advance to increase manufacturing capacity, expand and train the workforce, and maximize standardization to increase efficiency between successive projects.”
The announcement follows a similar approach taken with large utilities in Europe, “and is a key innovation in securing the supply chain for the energy transition,” the companies said.
The new interconnections will provide long-term economic benefits to communities across the country by facilitating the sharing of energy resources between power grids. Connecting the grids will alleviate network congestion and increase grid resilience and flexibility, helping to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events.
Hitachi Energy has provided HVDC solutions to North American customers since 1970 and now has more than 20 projects in the US and Canada, either in operation or under construction. As of today, the company has about 10 GW of renewable energy integrated, excluding the projects currently under implementation.
Hitachi Energy’s HVDC projects in the US and Canada include the Pacific Intertie, connecting California and Oregon, to several projects currently under execution, including Champlain Hudson Power Express to bring hydropower from Canada to New York City, SunZia Transmission, which will transport wind power from New Mexico to Arizona, and more.
