Tech Talk Archives

The Interconnection Queue Continues to Be a Barrier to American Economic Competitiveness: Here’s how to improve it

Mar 23, 2026 | Tech Talk

America’s economic and national competitiveness depend on a grid that can keep pace with private investment and innovation. The interconnection backlog isn’t just a technical issue — it’s a barrier to growth, jobs, and reliable power. While the studies themselves are necessary, we cannot let them become burdensome red tape that artificially slows grid buildout. Rather, interconnection should be modernized into a smarter, faster process, drawing from best practices across the RTOs and standardizing them at the federal level.

Interregional Balance: Med-TSO report studies cross-border links between EU and non-EU countries

Mar 9, 2026 | Tech Talk

The importance of interconnections between the EU and its neighbours in the Mediterranean region is the focus of a comprehensive report recently released by Med-TSO. The report presents an in-depth analysis of cross-border electricity interconnections between EU and non-EU countries in the Mediterranean region, focusing on the cases of Italy–Montenegro, Türkiye– ENTSO-E (via Greece and Bulgaria), and Spain-Morocco. It highlights the technical, regulatory, and institutional frameworks that underpin these interconnections, examining how electricity is traded across borders, how transmission capacity is allocated, and how congestion is managed.

Transmission Upgrade: Costa Rica undertakes grid expansion to accommodate renewables

Feb 23, 2026 | Tech Talk

Costa Rica’s electricity sector is undergoing a grid-centric transformation driven by the need for deeper renewable energy integration, enhancing grid stability against climate variability, and supporting rapid electrification of transport and industry. To expand and modernise the national grid to support integration of new generation and handle the new demand pressures, ICE has earmarked USD1 billion between 2025 and 2034 under its latest transmission plan, Plan de Expansion de la Transmision (PET) or Transmission Expansion Plan 2024-34.

Pumped Storage Projects: Technology Trends and Top Global Markets

Feb 2, 2026 | Tech Talk

PSP remains the world’s dominant grid‑scale storage technology, with global installed capacity reaching ~189 GW in 2024, according to the IHA’s 2025 World Hydropower Outlook. In 2024 alone, about 8.4 GW of new PSP capacity was added globally. The global PSP development pipeline now exceeds 600 GW, with more than 105 GW under construction, of which over 90 GW is in China. IHA estimates that existing PSP plants can store up to ~9,000 GWh of electricity, providing critical inertia, frequency regulation, and long‑duration storage for high‑renewables grids.

How VPPs can help US win the AI race

Dec 8, 2025 | Tech Talk

Data centers and other large loads cannot wait years for traditional generation and infrastructure upgrades. Virtual power plants offer a faster, cheaper, and more flexible alternative. The commercial models proposed in this paper can unlock large load-driven VPPs at scale by more efficiently allocating risk among utilities, VPP developers, and large customers — aligning incentives and unlocking new pathways for rapid deployment. In turn, this could benefit us all — strengthening reliability, lowering costs, and powering the next wave of US economic growth.

Modular approach with RE+BESS for supporting data center growth

Nov 7, 2025 | Tech Talk

Data center development may come in all levels of power consumption. However, because developers rarely build, install, and commission data centers in a single phase, projects of all sizes need a power supply that can grow and expand with them. When covering the incremental energy demand from a new data center, a large new single firm resource is an unwieldy indivisible capital investment. A modular approach with renewables plus batteries reduces risk and provides better economics.

Alberta’s Power Transformation: Plans to invest CAD 7.12 billion in grid modernisation

Sep 1, 2025 | Tech Talk

Alberta Electric System Operator faces two key challenges that could fundamentally reshape Alberta’s electrical landscape. The province’s swift transition to renewables has created unprecedented technical complexities that could threaten grid stability. As Alberta’s generation fleet increasingly relies on wind and solar power, the power system’s frequency response, system strength, and operational flexibility have diminished. To address these issues, the AESO has outlined comprehensive solutions in its recently released 2025 Reliability Requirements Roadmap.

Are European Grids Ready for AI Boom?

Aug 11, 2025 | Tech Talk

Trends in data centre investment in Europe make it clear that grid capacity has become a prized resource and a pull factor for major investors. If Europe is to have a place in the global AI race, grid planners need to step up their game. The rapid development of AI can provide a much needed boost for European economies. But it will not happen unless the energy infrastructure is prepared to accommodate the necessary data centre expansion. Forward-looking and anticipatory grid planning is a key solution.

European Ancillary Services Markets: Critical role of FCR and other cross-border balancing platforms

Aug 4, 2025 | Tech Talk

The European electricity system is undergoing a profound transformation driven by the twin imperatives of decarbonisation and energy security. With a strong shift from fossil-based generation to renewable resources, the resulting variability in electricity supply poses significant challenges to real time grid balancing and system reliability. To address these challenges, Europe has launched an ambitious reform of its ancillary services framework, built on a suite of harmonised, cross-border balancing platforms.

How Advanced Transmission Technologies Can Revamp the Aging US Power Grid

Jul 28, 2025 | Tech Talk

The North American power grid is often referred to as “the world’s largest machine.” 70% of the grid is over 50 years old, and it’s being tested in unprecedented ways. The American Society of Power Engineers gave the U.S. grid a grade of C- in its 2021 report card. Energy demand is growing for the first time in decades, spurred by resurgent manufacturing, rapacious data center growth and nascent electrification of industries once built on fossil fuels, such as the shift from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles. The U.S. power grid needs help. Advanced transmission technologies are an important part of the solution.

Solar 2.0: Shift to newer PV technologies gains momentum

Jun 23, 2025 | Tech Talk

The global energy transition depends on the rapid scaling up of solar power. However, this scale-up cannot rely solely on polycrystalline and mono PERC photovoltaic (PV) modules, which have efficiency in the range of 19-21 per cent. Their limitations, such as lack of bi faciality, faster degradation and underperformance in high-temperature and low-light conditions, further underscore the need to transition towards more advanced PV technologies.

Building the Backbone: Overview of the solar cable and connector market

May 26, 2025 | Tech Talk

While the focus is primarily on solar modules, inverters and storage technologies, the less visible but equally critical balance of system (BoS) components, such as solar cables and connectors, form the electrical backbone of solar installations. These components ensure efficient electricity transmission, operational reliability and safety. As the sector transitions to 1,500 V systems, performance expectations for cable insulation, thermal stability and connector endurance have increased.

Maximising Transmission Network Utilisation in Indonesia

May 5, 2025 | Tech Talk

The joint utilisation of transmission and distribution lines, or known globally as power wheeling, offers a range of benefits for Indonesia and its state energy utility PLN. Joint transmission network utilisation allows for the efficient integration of renewable energy sources into the national grid through private sector investment in renewable generation plants, helping Indonesia to achieve its renewable energy targets. To achieve the target of 75 GW of renewables by 2040, increased grid integration and investment in new renewable projects will be needed.

Maintenance Matters: Overview of wind O&M segment

Apr 28, 2025 | Tech Talk

As the world expands its wind power base, O&M will be the foundation for sustained asset performance. In a bid to meet renewable purchase targets, it is fair to expect that the wind capacities will grow further, thereby increasing the market size for wind O&M. Going forward, the sector should gradually move towards a data-centric, cyber-secure, and cost-optimised O&M model. Building a robust and future-ready O&M ecosystem will call for greater support for digital innovation, local capability development, and open data initiatives.

French Grid Plans: RTE’s comprehensive approach to network development up to 2040

Apr 21, 2025 | Tech Talk

In mid-February 2025, RTE published the Schéma Décennalde Développement du Réseau (SDDR) 2025 guidelines, which marks the second phase of public consultation in formulating a 10-year network development plan. Earlier in March 2024, the TSO released its draft SDDR 2024, proposing an investment of around EUR100 billion between 2025 and 2040 to adapt the French transmission network to the energy policy objectives. The draft SDDR 2024 presented the network’s development needs to support the new French and the European Union’s policy objectives, reflected particularly in the green, nuclear and renewable industry laws and in the draft French energy and climate strategy, published in November 2023.

Meeting the Increasing Energy Requirement of Data Centres

Apr 14, 2025 | Tech Talk

Investment in new data centres has surged, increasing by nearly 70% in the last two years at the global level. One of the main drivers of this investment has been the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), alongside the deepening digitalisation of the global economy. On the electricity supply side of the equation, the sector is facing several challenges. Electricity demand is already growing strongly in emerging markets and developing economies, driven especially by economic growth, industrialisation, increased adoption of appliances, and surging needs for cooling. Advanced economies are also returning to growth in electricity demand after two decades of stagnation. However, the electricity sector faces several bottlenecks, including permitting times and tangled supply chains.

Bagasse-based cogeneration plants gain traction in India

Mar 31, 2025 | Tech Talk

Cogeneration (or combined heat and power [CHP]) systems provide steam and power to industrial and other plants throughout the world. Most sugar mills, since their inception, have had cogeneration power plants. Since the main fuel used is bagasse, which is a renewable source, such power is termed as “renewable energy”. These power plants do emit carbon dioxide (CO2) like other thermal power plants, but in reduced quantum, the sugarcane crop absorbs several times more CO2 for its growth during the process of photosynthesis. This is where the bagasse-based cogeneration power plants have the twin advantages of being renewable and help absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.

State of EU’s Steel Transition

Mar 24, 2025 | Tech Talk

Sending the right policy signals, increasing investor pressure and raising awareness of this risk will be key to making sure these plant owners have the confidence to invest in near-zero emissions technologies instead of relining. It is, therefore, crucial that EU and Member State policymakers responsible for industrial and economic planning consider a faster transition of the steel sector in their respective countries and adjust policies accordingly.

Advanced Systems: Innovations in solar inverters

Mar 3, 2025 | Tech Talk

The efficiency and reliability of solar power systems heavily depend on the quality of its components. Solar inverters are one of the key components and perform an important function in PV systems by converting direct current (DC) electricity generated by solar panels into alternating current (AC) suitable for grid integration or direct power supply. The exponential growth of the solar industry over the past decade has driven significant advancements in inverter technology, leading to improved efficiency, reliability, cost-effectiveness and integration capabilities. Solar inverter manufacturers are constantly working to improve the efficiency of their products.

Can China can replicate its success in solar with electrolyzers?

Feb 24, 2025 | Tech Talk

China’s manufacturing prowess and progress in lowering electrolyzer costs have raised hopes – and concerns – about its potential to lead electrolyzer manufacturing and exports globally, accelerating the clean energy transition worldwide. The dramatic cost reductions achieved in solar photovoltaics (PV) and China’s subsequent dominance of these supply chains are often cited as an example of how things might play out in the hydrogen space. This paper explores whether China can replicate its success in solar with electrolyzers, considering government support, learning rates of PV and electrolyzers, Chinese corporate strategies, and the external environment for exports.

Category: Tech Talk

The Interconnection Queue Continues to Be a Barrier to American Economic Competitiveness: Here’s how to improve it

Interregional Balance: Med-TSO report studies cross-border links between EU and non-EU countries

Transmission Upgrade: Costa Rica undertakes grid expansion to accommodate renewables

Pumped Storage Projects: Technology Trends and Top Global Markets

How VPPs can help US win the AI race

Modular approach with RE+BESS for supporting data center growth

Alberta’s Power Transformation: Plans to invest CAD 7.12 billion in grid modernisation

Are European Grids Ready for AI Boom?

European Ancillary Services Markets: Critical role of FCR and other cross-border balancing platforms

How Advanced Transmission Technologies Can Revamp the Aging US Power Grid

Solar 2.0: Shift to newer PV technologies gains momentum

Building the Backbone: Overview of the solar cable and connector market

Maximising Transmission Network Utilisation in Indonesia

Maintenance Matters: Overview of wind O&M segment

French Grid Plans: RTE’s comprehensive approach to network development up to 2040

Meeting the Increasing Energy Requirement of Data Centres

Bagasse-based cogeneration plants gain traction in India

State of EU’s Steel Transition

Advanced Systems: Innovations in solar inverters

Can China can replicate its success in solar with electrolyzers?

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