Grid Modernization News

Explore our archive of grid modernization news stories.

Dec. 12, 2024

What Is Driving the Demand for Distribution Transformers?

A new NREL study further examines key factors and segmentation behind transformer demand growth through 2050.

Nov. 22, 2024

Summer 2024 Was One for the Power Grid History Books

Grid operators in several regions kept the lights on this summer with more solar, storage, and wind.

Nov. 6, 2024

NREL To Support $50 Million Investment in Distributed Energy Systems by Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations

The DOE Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations selected NREL to provide technical assistance with integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) in Colorado, Massachusetts, and Virginia to make the electric grids safer and more responsive, resilient, and affordable.

Oct. 30, 2024

Are Carbon-Free Energy Systems Possible? NREL Has a Way To Find Out

Live power experiments using NREL’s ARIES platform solve future energy challenges in the present.

Oct. 16, 2024

DOE and NREL Launch Programa Acceso Solar (Solar Access Program) Providing Subsidized Solar Panels and Battery Storage to Puerto Rican Households

After Hurricane Fiona in October 2022, President Biden visited Puerto Rico and pledged to leverage the technical support of federal agencies to improve the archipelago's electric grid.

Oct. 14, 2024

Grad Students, Postdocs, and Early-Career Staff Prepare To Carry Torch of International Research Collaboration

This summer, NREL postdocs and early-career staff participated in multiple events around the globe, including in Italy, Indonesia, Singapore, and stateside in Golden, Colorado.

Oct. 11, 2024

How Industry Partnerships Can Help Tackle Real-World Grid Challenges

Chief Scientist Yonghong Chen shares how her two decades of experience working at an independent system operator is now informing her philosophy on industry collaboration at NREL.

Oct. 10, 2024

Biofuels and Batteries Gain From the System Dynamics Behind the Research

How do researchers examine the relationships between various factors within a given system, how they could change, and how those changes ultimately lead to different behaviors in the system over longer periods of time? The answers to those questions may lie within a sophisticated modeling method known as system dynamics.

Oct. 3, 2024

National Transmission Analysis Maps Next Chapter of US Grid Evolution

The release of the National Transmission Planning Study shifts the energy transition into high gear.

Aug. 27, 2024

Next Installment of 'Powered By' Series Starts Sept. 10

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is extending its "Powered By" webinar series to feature more grid planning and analysis tools starting on Sept. 10.

July 30, 2024

The Path To Supply Clean Energy to Every Home

In the latest installment of NREL's Tell Me Something Grid Series, grid researcher Sherin Ann Abraham dives into the exciting challenges of modernizing the distribution grid.

July 26, 2024

The Grid Can Handle More Renewable Energy, But It Needs Some Help

A new kind of grid technology, called medium-voltage silicon carbide converters, could help the U.S. grid smoothly transition to renewable energy.

July 17, 2024

NREL Researchers Collaborate To Optimize Transmission Modeling Efficiency

Advanced computing plays a pivotal role in accelerating clean energy research at NREL, whether researchers need simulations of traffic systems, models of biomass conversion, or optimization of renewable energy implementation.

June 27, 2024

NREL Partners With Industry Leaders To Prove Out Grid Integration Solutions

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected two new projects to benefit from a premier grid control evaluation capability at NREL.

June 12, 2024

On the Road to Increased Transmission: High-Voltage Direct Current

Building more high-voltage direct current transmission lines could better connect solar and wind energy to the U.S. grid.

June 12, 2024

'Moderate' Is the New 'Extreme': Weather's Impact on Growing Renewable Grid Operations

Shifting our perception of extreme weather could support planning a reliable future grid.

June 4, 2024

How To Realize the Maximum Value of Interregional Transmission

A new report takes a fresh look at how today's market and operating practices impact the value of transmission that connects multiple regions.

May 31, 2024

Power System Model Results Made Easier

"It can help everybody because it should lead to better decisions in the end." That is the goal of a new resource developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, according to NREL energy analyst Wesley Cole.

May 31, 2024

5G and Microgrids Might Be a Great Match

To study the newest generation of wireless communications and what it offers power systems, NREL built a 5G research platform inside a replicated military microgrid and put it through resilience scenarios and cyberattacks.

May 30, 2024

On the Road to Increased Transmission: Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems

Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems provide a way to steer electricity to less-congested transmission lines, like a navigation app.

May 16, 2024

On the Road to Increased Transmission: Dynamic Line Ratings

Dynamic line ratings provide one way to increase transmission on the U.S. grid while cutting costs and improving reliability.

April 30, 2024

A Look at the Future of Transmission: Getting Clean Electrons to Where They Need To Be

The latest Tell Me Something Grid article features Jarrad Wright and his analysis of transmission expansion needs and trade-offs in a low-carbon future.

April 8, 2024

NREL Shows Live Grid Impacts From Total Solar Eclipse

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will traverse North America bringing a period of midday complete darkness to 12 U.S. states and affecting solar power plants across all 50 U.S. states.

March 25, 2024

Connecting the Dots: Putting Offshore Wind Energy to Work

NREL researchers contributed to a thorough analysis and action plan to guide the United States on the most effective ways to bring Atlantic offshore wind energy to communities on the East Coast.

March 21, 2024

Before You Install Wind Energy Technology, Check Out This Database

The new, easy-to-use Wind Resource Database offers public access to more than a petabyte of detailed wind resource data in the United States and other countries.

March 7, 2024

Can We Connect Renewable Energy Hubs With Electricity Consumption Hubs?

A new approach to grid planning could make it possible to power your home with the nation's best and lowest-cost wind and solar energy, no matter where you live.

March 4, 2024

How Many Transformers Will US Distribution Grid Need by 2050?

New NREL research is providing first-of-its-kind modeling to help curb the current shortage of distribution transformers and ensure a reliable and resilient power grid.

Feb. 29, 2024

Renewable Energy Is Green, but We Can Make It Greener

The U.S. energy transition is gaining speed, accelerated by government renewable energy goals and billions of dollars through the Inflation Reduction Act. As we race toward a greener future, understanding the potential adverse effects of renewable energy technologies before they are deployed has never been more critical.

Feb. 27, 2024

Cutting-Edge Grid Planning Tools Drive India's Distributed Energy Future

India is transforming its power system, with distributed energy resources playing a major role in the country’s decarbonization journey. NREL grid analysts Kapil Duwadi and Erik Pohl discuss their roles on a team working with India’s state utilities to manage rapid distributed energy resource growth with customized tools and solutions to ensure safe and reliable grid integration.

Feb. 21, 2024

News Release: NREL-Led Workshop Points to Path for Clean Energy Future

Participants in a workshop organized by NREL agree on the importance of mitigating degradation rates for the continuing rollout of clean technologies.

Feb. 9, 2024

New Webinar Series Will Showcase Real-World Projects Powered By NREL's Grid Planning and Analysis Tools

The new Powered By webinar series hosted by NREL's Grid Planning and Analysis Center (GPAC) can be your new go-to resource.

Jan. 26, 2024

Top 10 Things To Know About Power Grid Reliability

In the latest installment of the Tell Me Something Grid series, NREL's Paul Denholm shares what you need to know about the reliability of the U.S. power grid and why renewable energy can keep the lights on.

Jan. 9, 2024

NREL Releases the 2023 Standard Scenarios

The annual suite of electricity system scenarios shows there could be fewer emissions, more renewables, and clean energy tax credits continued through 2050.

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