State regulators urged to deploy advanced transmission technologies

State legislators across multiple U.S. states have passed laws to accelerate deployment of advanced transmission technologies (ATTs); regulators (PUCs and utilities) must now implement those laws to realize cost and reliability benefits.

• Legislative action and required regulator response: Over the past year 10 additional states (seven with Republican governors and three with Democratic governors) passed laws to accelerate ATTs, joining six states with prior laws; regulators should use statutory authorities (planning, siting/permitting, cost recovery, study requirements) to require cost-benefit analyses, include ATTs in IRPs, and demand explanations when utilities forgo ATT options. Key quantified examples: GETs in five PJM states could accelerate 6.6 GW of interconnection and save more than $1 billion annually (RMI analysis); Montana’s advanced conductors law includes higher returns tied to “cost-effectiveness” criteria.
• Implementation guidance and concrete examples: Regulators and utilities should follow best practices (e.g., Quanta Technology’s Advanced Transmission Technologies Planning Guide) to co-optimize generation and transmission; specific project-level data include an AEP dynamic line rating pilot that cost $0.5 million to install, paid for itself in about a month, and had estimated savings of $11 million, and a NewGrid topology optimization study showing local cost reductions from $600/MWh to $25/MWh during reinforcements. PUCs should require resubmission or revision if utility ATT analyses are insufficient and ensure CPCN processes evaluate ATT prudency.