Just like we need fat pipes (actually fiber optic lines) to transmit massive volumes of Internet and voice traffic long across long distances, we also need high tension wires to transmit volumes of power across the nation.   As America adds more capacity to the grid (hopefully more clean energy than coal fired) we need to update our grid of high tension wires to increase efficiency, capacity and safety.

The high voltage used for Direct Current (DC) electricity in these wires is used to reduce the resistance and loss during energy transmission.  DC lines transmit electricity in only one direction, but are able to transmit electricity over longer distances with lower loss rates (about 3% per 1000 kilometers)  than Alternating Current (AC) transmission lines, which is bi-directional and used for lower voltage applications like delivery of electricity to homes and businesses.

Direct current high voltage wires were invented and first used in Sweden and is used extensively across America to transmit electricity across its 3 regional grids (Western, Texas, and Eastern) that are actually owned by 500 separate power companies.  If there was ever a time where we needed the leadership of the federal government to build a cohesive network, this is it. 

The US Department of Energy and American Electric Power utility proposed a $60 billion natonal network of 765 kilowatt lines.   Of the 22,000 miles of high capacity lines required, today we have about 3,000.  New green sources of energy like wind farms, solar power and hydropower will increase the demands on our current aging infrastructure. 

Hopefully, a good chunk of the recovery package money will be invested here, as this will provide an outstanding return on investment.   In a much small scale case study, an investment of $336 million to build 20 miles of new high voltage lines saved $150 million in the very first year of operation.   While it may be a reach to expect such a quick return on investment for a project on a national scale it is clear that  America needs a vastly improved high capacity infrastructure to support green energy as well as to help power the country’s economy and growth for years to come.

I would be remiss if I did not address the safety issues of building out this infrastructure.  There are concerns about public health for people that live under high tension wires.  While some studies show it should not be an issue, other studies have shown a higher than normal incidence of cancer and leukemia for people that lived under these lines.   Burying the lines may not be a good option as these vital lines would constantly be at risk of being severed by by back hoes and the like.   Perhaps the best option would be to relocate people with homes directly under these lines.

Source: Scientific American Article by Matthew Wald