Global energy demand is forecasted to nearly double in the near future, and power grid providers are scrambling to prepare, planning infrastructural projects to build new lines that will enable more energy output. However, embarking on these builds can take 7-12 years, and with action needed now, utilities are searching for a quicker fix.
The answer lies in two key factors: Existing power lines and the weather.
Nearly every power line today calculates its transmission capacity and strategy based on historical weather patterns. While this method may have been enough in the past, in today’s rapidly changing climate, relying solely on general seasonal data means utilities are missing much of the bigger picture.
The good news is that this gap represents a significant opportunity for power grid providers to deliver more energy from their already existing grids.
I’ve included below how hyper-local, real-time weather intelligence gives energy companies a much more accurate picture of key weather considerations around their lines, allowing them to access previously unused capacity, accurately forecast renewable energy production and strategize the best way to transmit that output.
Grid operators have traditionally been cautious, regulating their maximum line capacity based on quarterly estimates of regional weather conditions. Because of this, most utilities have more capacity than they realize and the potential to transmit much more energy—but only if they monitor their lines in real time.
Utility engineers need to be able to measure the real-time conditions that affect a line to determine its true capacity at any given moment.
To begin providing a solution, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has mandated that by July 2025, all U.S. grid operators introduce Ambient Adjusted Ratings (AAR). This method involves weather conditions and other factors being adjusted at least hourly rather than seasonally. This is just the first step, however. As the transition to renewable energy continues, more utilities are going beyond FERC’s upcoming 881 mandate to implement an even more granular line measuring method, Dynamic Line Ratings (DLR).
With DLR, utilities can access and examine real-time weather insights that affect transmission capacity, such as hyper-locally, air temperature, wind speed and wind direction. These factors have a significant impact, such as increased wind duration, which can cool a power line and allow more energy to be funneled through safely. Being able to measure these key conditions in the areas immediately surrounding specific lines puts utilities one step closer to matching energy demand and decreasing service interruptions - without the need for long-winded infrastructural projects.
It won’t matter that power lines can transmit more electricity, if there isn’t enough energy being created to distribute. Luckily, with the rise of renewables this is rarely a problem.
While there are concerns that resources like gas and oil could become scarce in the future, renewables are a constantly replenishing alternative because of the constant they come from: the weather. However, just because weather is constant doesn’t mean it’s consistent, and for energy providers to harness renewable energy efficiently, they need to be able to prepare.
With meteorological factors varying daily, power grid providers need access to hourly (if not sub-hourly), hyper-local weather insights to accurately assess how much renewable energy will be produced and available to supplement their lines.
For example, wind production directly relies on volatile wind speeds, which can change from moment to moment. In addition, wind farms aren’t one size fits all regarding turbine and rotor build, so site-specific weather data is essential to create accurate power forecasts. Solar and hydropower production also have key weather considerations that, with real-time insights, will be much easier to manage.
Solar production relies on the number of sunshine hours and the extent to which cloud cover plays a role. In addition, snow cover on solar panels, especially once they slide off with melting, significantly impacts generation. On the other side of things, hydro production relies heavily on precipitation, including the amount of snowpack, during winter. Once the snow melts and the run-off occurs in the spring, the force of this, in river water flows, has a bearing on production.
So, why is it so crucial for utilities to be able to forecast how the weather will affect their power production?
Beyond the essential electricity supply across countries, forecasting how much power will be produced allows grid operators to improve energy management, lower costs and optimize yields.
There’s a price to pay for everything, and the energy industry is no exception. Power grid providers must estimate how much energy they will need to supplement their grid. If they overpromise, they are forced to buy power elsewhere to fill the gap. With real-time forecasts, utilities can improve their accuracy and safely and efficiently transmit the necessary amount of energy through their lines.
As weather events around the world grow increasingly volatile, power grid providers will need to begin monitoring the key conditions specific to the areas of their lines to utilize the full potential of renewable energies - at the lowest attainable cost.
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Chris Hyde, Energy Lead and Meteorologist at Meteomatics works closely with U.S. energy companies and investors to incorporate weather intelligence into their strategies. Before Meteomatics, Mr. Hyde was employed at Maxar for twenty-six years, and was on the Board of Directors for WRMA.
