High Level
A New York Department of Public Service planning lead used a
Utility Dive op‑ed on August 22 to explain how grid‑enhancing technologies are
being integrated into the state’s planning toolkit to serve fast‑growing loads
while protecting ratepayers. The op‑ed highlights dynamic line ratings, power‑flow
control and the use of mobile storage at EV fast‑charging hubs along the
Thruway as examples of tools that can be installed in months, not years, and at
materially lower cost than conventional wires upgrades. The takeaway for the
week is that GETs are being treated as core planning options rather than one‑off
pilots. (Utility Dive)
Full View
NY DPS outlines PSC integration of grid‑enhancing
technologies to meet rapid load growth
• What happened: On August 22, 2025, a New York DPS planning official
detailed how grid‑enhancing technologies (GETs) such as dynamic line ratings,
power‑flow control and mobile storage are being embedded in New York’s planning
to meet reliability and affordability objectives as electrification
accelerates. The piece cites EV fast‑charging along the New York State Thruway
as a near‑term use case.
• Who did it: Schuyler Matteson, clean energy planning lead at the New
York State Department of Public Service.
• Why they did it: To explain a strategy for using fast‑deployable tools
that increase the usable capacity of existing assets, defer expensive long‑lead
upgrades and manage new, less predictable loads from EVs, data centers and
building electrification.
• Stakeholder views:
• Matteson: “The deployment of GETs means that the system can accommodate the
chargers five years ahead of schedule at one sixth of the cost.”
• Matteson: New York is building a regulatory framework that treats GETs as
“core components of grid development, not afterthoughts.”
• What happens next: The op‑ed indicates New York will continue
integrating GETs through ongoing planning initiatives, including proactive and
transmission planning, the Grid of the Future work and an advanced technology
working group.
Sources:
Utility Dive, “How grid‑enhancing technologies are shaping New York’s planning
and protecting ratepayers,” Aug. 22, 2025 — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/grid-enhancing-technologies-gets-new-york-electric-grid-planning/758295/
What’s the So What?
New York’s posture is consistent with a growing body of
analysis: grid-enhancing technologies unlock meaningful capacity on existing
infrastructure at a fraction of the cost and on far faster timelines. DOE’s
“Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Innovative Grid Deployment” finds commercially
available solutions like dynamic line ratings, advanced power-flow control,
advanced conductors and storage can support roughly 20 to 100 GW of incremental
peak demand, with most options costing less than one quarter of conventional
alternatives and deployable within five years. That is a low-regret bridge
while longer-lead transmission is sited and built.
Independent modeling shows the dollars and megawatts are
real. RMI’s PJM study concludes that a portfolio of GETs can enable about 6.6
GW of interconnections within three years and drive on the order of $1 billion
per year in production-cost savings by 2030. The Brattle Group’s review reports
payback measured in months and illustrates how GETs reduce congestion, increase
the value of new lines and can be redeployed as system conditions change. These
results reiterate that GETs complement, not replace, new transmission.
Regulators have paved the way. FERC Order 881 tightened
line-ratings practices to improve accuracy and lower costs. Order 2023 requires
transmission providers to evaluate alternative transmission technologies during
interconnection studies. NARUC’s 2024 resolution urges regulators to
investigate the ratepayer benefits of advanced transmission technologies and
high-performance conductors. Former FERC chairs Rich Glick and Neil Chatterjee
have publicly pressed states to make GETs a standard part of near-term upgrades
and longer-term plans. In short, commissions have the legal footing and policy
cover to require utilities to screen for GETs first.
Bottom line: GETs are GOOD — Grid-Optimizing, Outcome-Driven tools. They are the no-brainer first move when time, cost and reliability are all binding constraints. Program the “screen for GETs” step into transmission and distribution filings, align cost recovery with modular deployments, and target obvious near-term needs like EV corridors and data center hotspots. The payoff is immediate capacity, lower congestion and cleaner bills while big lines make their way through permitting.
Bibliography
Utility Dive. “How grid‑enhancing technologies are shaping
New York’s planning and protecting ratepayers.” Aug. 22, 2025. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/grid-enhancing-technologies-gets-new-york-electric-grid-planning/758295/
U.S. Department of Energy. “Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Innovative Grid
Deployment.” Apr. 16, 2024; PDF July 2025. https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-releases-new-report-accelerating-deployment-grid-solutions-lower-costs-and-improve
; https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-07/LIFTOFF_DOE_Innovative-Grid-Deployment.pdf
RMI. “GETting Interconnected in PJM.” Feb. 2024. https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2024/02/GETs_insight_brief_v3.pdf
The Brattle Group. “Building a Better Grid: How Grid‑Enhancing Technologies
Complement Transmission Buildouts.” Apr. 2023. https://www.brattle.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Building-a-Better-Grid-How-Grid-Enhancing-Technologies-Complement-Transmission-Buildouts.pdf
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “Rule to Improve Transmission Line
Ratings Will Help Lower Transmission Costs (Order No. 881).” Dec. 16, 2021. https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/ferc-rule-improve-transmission-line-ratings-will-help-lower-transmission-costs
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “Explainer on the Interconnection Final
Rule (Order No. 2023).” Jan. 23, 2025. https://www.ferc.gov/explainer-interconnection-final-rule
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. “Resolutions Passed
by the NARUC Board of Directors.” Nov. 10, 2024. https://pubs.naruc.org/pub/812873F4-E348-B77F-4D75-E513FF13A86D
Utility Dive. “FERC paved the way for smart grid solutions. States must take
the next step.” Aug. 15, 2025. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/smart-grid-gets-grid-enhancing-hpc-states/757687/