How to build and optimize the grid of the future
Interchange Recharged
Wood Mackenzie
4.8 • 535 Ratings
🗓️ 4 June 2024
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Increased energy demand is inevitable. How do make sure the grid can cope?
We’ll likely need a grid twice the size it is today. And balancing supply and demand in the years ahead will require a smart approach.
Transmission capacity is one of the most important things to address as we accelerate the energy transition. Achieving net zero by 2050 will require an upgrade and expansion of the grid, in the UK and US. So how do we do it?
We are joined by Ben Wilson, Chief Strategy and Regulation Officer at National Grid, to analyse the grid-enhancing technology and investment we need to see deployed. Together they discuss the path to a smarter, more advanced grid.
Ben highlights the need for policy support as well; streamlining permitting processes is crucial.
In this episode, find out how National Grid is planning and investing in new infrastructure, the approach to finding and investing in the latest tech, and the importance of dynamic line ratings in managing energy demand.
About National Grid
National Grid is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Catch up on the latest episodes of National Grid’s podcast, The Clean Energy Revolution, which explores the people, policies, and projects that are leading the transition to clean energy.
For more information, please visit nationalgrid.com
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Wood McKenzie's Solar Energy and Storage Summit is back in Denver on the 29th and 30th of April, |
| 0:06.2 | 2026. It's co-located with the brand new North American Power and Renewables Forum, |
| 0:11.9 | which features senior speakers from across the U.S. power sector. Come and join over 450 senior |
| 0:18.2 | leaders from U.S. power developers, utilities, and independent power producers |
| 0:23.3 | to tackle the industry's biggest challenges. From navigating life after tax credits to capturing |
| 0:29.7 | the load growth boom, discover how the energy mix is evolving and how the U.S. is going to meet |
| 0:34.9 | that power demand. Seats are limited, so register now at woodmack.com. |
| 0:40.3 | Once we've substituted coal and gas for wind and solar, |
| 0:43.7 | the challenge remains of connecting these clean energy sources to the grid. |
| 0:47.4 | That grid needs to be modern and able to cope with increased demand. |
| 0:51.2 | This is the interchange, recharged. |
| 0:53.9 | A Wood McKenzie production. I'm David Banmiller. |
| 0:59.6 | Electrification is necessary to achieving net zero goals. Research from the Berkeley Institute |
| 1:04.9 | identified transmission capacity as one of the most crucial components of decarbonization plans. |
| 1:10.5 | Achieving net zero by 2050 will require an increase in transmission capacity of 150% at least. |
| 1:17.3 | It could be as much as fourfold increase. |
| 1:19.6 | So how do we upgrade and expand the grid? |
| 1:21.8 | What grid enhancing technologies are we seeing deployed? |
| 1:24.6 | And what policy developments are we seeing, particularly in the U.S. |
| 1:28.0 | Northeast, which are having the biggest impact? As we add more and more renewables to the grid, |
| 1:32.9 | planning reform, investment, and community engagement are going to be key areas of interest. We'll |
| 1:38.6 | explore each of them on today's episode. Joining me to discuss these and more is Ben Wilson. |
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