GigaOM Pro

Energy storage, superconductors, and voltage sensors are helping newer, more efficient transmsision lines deliver wind and solar power to our cities.

As utilities work to get more of their electricity from renewable projects, transmission is becoming a major barrier. The grid is aging and, in in the U.S., many lines are reaching the end of their design life. California alone will need seven new transmission lines if its investor-owned utilities are to reach the state's goal of getting 33 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, according to the California Public Utilities Commission. As transformers and other pieces are replaced — and new transmission lines are added — the transition provides opportunities for smarter electronics and software, as well as technologies that make it cheaper or easier to install new transmission, to win a piece of the market.