Welcome to Grid Brief! Here’s what we’re looking at today: private sector solutions to grid challenges, New England’s last coal plant, and a fusion partnership moves forward.

How the Private Sector is Responding to Grid Challenges

The growing energy needs from the rise in AI, machine learning, and electrification have regulators worried about the future of America’s power grid. Recognizing the grid challenges ahead, innovators are stepping up to provide solutions to keep lights on and businesses running.

One solution being pursued is AI and one company that is proving this concept is Rhizome. Launched in 2023, this startup has created a platform that uses machine learning to help its users optimize their investments in grid resiliency. Specifically, Rhizome incorporates historical data on extreme weather, climate models, and grid demand forecasts to help utilities plan for future asset upgrades and replacements, vegetation management, and more.

Another potential solution is advanced reconductoring, which replaces the aluminum in existing power lines with lighter carbon fiber cores. According to research from UC Berkeley and Grid Labs, upgrading existing transmission corridors with advanced conductors could double America’s grid output at less than half the cost of building new power lines.

New England Gets Set to Close Remaining Coal-Fired Plants

Earlier this year the CEO of Granite Shore Power announced that it would soon close its two remaining coal-fired power plants. Once completed, this will mark the end of coal power production in New England.

In its place, Granite Shore aims to build a 150-megawatt battery system in Schiller and a 100-megawatt storage system outside of Concord that will be accompanied by a 10-MW solar farm. If successful, this will be one of the largest energy storage projects in the region. To date, New England has installed 360 MW of batteries.

Granite Shore is hopeful that it will also be able to leverage one of its deep ports to service offshore wind in Maine.

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Conversation Starters

• Canada, U.S. companies partner to develop fusion (Power Magazine)

  Canadian-based AtkinsRéalis has been chosen to develop the pre-concept design for Tennessee-based Type One Energy's commercial-scale nuclear fusion pilot plant. Earlier this year Type One announced the Bull Run Fossil Plant in Clinton, TN as the building site for its prototype.

• Making butter out of thin air (Interesting Engineering)

  Savor, a Bill Gates-backed startup, is using carbon dioxide from the air to create lab-made butter and other fat-based products, potentially offering a more sustainable alternative to animal-derived fats.

• Carbon capture notches impressive benchmark (Daily Energy Insider)

  ESG Clean Energy has developed a carbon capture system that can capture 100% of CO2 emissions from combustion exhaust streams, applicable to any internal combustion engine. The system uses a two-step process involving water removal and CO2 capture, and can be retrofitted to existing power plants as well as applied to mobile applications.

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