GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business has been contracted to provide technology to increase grid capacity to help the City of Los Angeles meet its renewables goals.
As the primary technology subcontractor on a $75m project led by Beta Engineering California, GE will provide four new Fixed Series Capacitor (FSC) systems at two Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) switching stations.
The new FSC banks will add 475MW of capacity, allowing for more stable renewable energy use as part of LA’s Green New Deal to transition to 100% renewable energy.
The work is expected to be substantially completed within the next two and a half years.
GE said its flexible transmission system equipment offer grid operators the ability to provide reactive power support, enhance controllability, improve stability, and increase the power transfer of existing alternating current (AC) transmission systems without having to invest in building new lines.
LADWP transmission studies had shown the need to upgrade the department’s series capacitors to boost capacity and address ongoing maintenance issues along West of Colorado River (WOR) Path 46.
The added capacity from the new banks will help the Department meet California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) policy, the City’s Sustainability Plan, LA100 goals, and the mandates set forth in California Senate Bill 100.
Located in south-east California and Nevada up to the Colorado River, the set of 14 high voltage (230kV and 500kV) AC transmission lines, known as the WOR Path 46, have a total capacity of 10.6GW.
Shared by many utilities, including LADWP, the lines’ capacity comes from many different sources, such as hydroelectric dams and, more recently, utility-scale solar and wind plants.
The agreement, led by GE’s partner Beta Engineering California, includes the replacement of two obsolete FSC systems on two parallel transmission lines plus the addition of two new FSC systems.