Software-based initiative aims to unlock up to 20% more bulk capacity without new infrastructure

## Unlocking Grid Capacity The US Department of Energy's SPARK program aims to fund advanced transmission technologies to boost headroom on the bulk grid. Minnesota-based OATI has applied for a portion of the $1.9 billion program for its PowerNow initiative, which could unlock 10% to 20% more transmission capacity without building any new infrastructure. PowerNow will use three levers to increase transmission capacity: automated, near-real-time coordination between neighboring transmission operators; software-based dynamic line ratings that more accurately reflect real-world grid conditions and safely remove artificial constraints on power flows; and AI-enhanced dispatch of flexible resources that can respond more quickly to grid needs than traditional generation. According to Kevin Sarkinen, OATI's chief operations officer, the immense complexity of the bulk power grid makes it difficult for grid operators to evaluate large-load interconnection requests and reliably serve those loads. A single line constraint can impact what's available on the grid, and increasing a single line rating limit can change the grid capacity availability by 100% to 200% based on what's flowing on that particular line. ## Automated Inter-regional Coordination PowerNow's automated inter-regional coordination lever replaces weekly, daily or hourly data exchanges between grid operators with near-instantaneous updates that allow operators to respond quickly to capacity constraints on neighbors' lines. This is most effective when "clusters of adjacent operators adopt this capability simultaneously," which is why coordinated deployment is required rather than piecemeal adoption. To achieve this, OATI has recruited a geographically diverse coalition of regional transmission organizations and transmission utilities, including the California Independent System Operator, New York Independent System Operator, the Southwest Power Pool, PacifiCorp, Duke Energy, and Florida Power & Light, among others. ## Potential Impact While it's difficult to estimate how much grid capacity PowerNow might free up at the national level, it could increase individual lines' capacity by "hundreds of megawatts," according to Sarkinen. The initiative's potential impact is significant, and OATI is working to deploy PowerNow in a coordinated manner to maximize its benefits. By using software-based dynamic line ratings and AI-enhanced dispatch of flexible resources, PowerNow aims to remove artificial constraints on power flows and increase transmission capacity. This could help to address the dwindling capacity on the bulk grid, which is being driven by the increasing demand from data centers and other large loads.