Heimdall Power, a global grid enhancing technology (GET) company, shared a new plan that it says can enable U.S. utilities to both comply with and exceed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 881 mandate in as few as two weeks.
The company laid out a blueprint to scale the installation of thousands of its Neuron sensors (or “Magic Balls”) to high voltage power lines across the country’s grids. As a result, the company argues, utilities will be able to achieve Dynamic Line Ratings (DLR), a step beyond the FERC-mandated Ambient Adjusted Ratings (AAR), in advance of the July 2025 deadline–laying the foundation for upcoming real-time rating requirements.
FERC’s December 2021 rulemaking, Order No. 881, required transmission line ratings to reflect ambient air temperatures to improve efficiency in operating transmission lines.
With ten months remaining until the new regulation goes into effect, utilities are weighing the short-term need for compliance and the long-term need to maximize the transmission capacity of their existing grids, the company said. Achieving either will likely require introducing software and hardware that they don’t currently have to miles of power lines. Some independent operators are requesting as long as three-year extensions to determine the best path forward. Others are considering how new technology can help them go beyond the FERC-required daily or hourly ratings.
Heimdall Power’s plan is meant to satisfy the needs of both types of operators: those seeking on-time compliance with FERC 881 and those eager to set up the early foundation for their ultimate move to Dynamic Line Ratings (DLR).
Heimdall Power’s Two-Week Compliance Blueprint consists of:
- Neuron sensors that gather real-time data. The company’s sphere-shaped Neuron sensors sit on high-voltage power lines to collect and measure the hyper-local factors that influence transmission capacity: current, voltage, line angle, temperature, and weather conditions.
- Software that puts this data into action. Heimdall Power’s software leverages machine learning algorithms in an effort to synthesize this data and understand power lines’ real-time transmission capacity.
- 15-second sensor installations via drone. Heimdall Power deploys two-person drone crews to oversee the autonomous installation of its Neuron sensors to power lines. Each installation takes under a minute to complete, the company said.
- Installation of 800 sensors per week. With twenty drone crews operating simultaneously, the company can currently achieve up to 800 Neuron installations per week. Therefore, Heimdall Power argues, a company that needs 1,600 sensors or less will have enough to comply with or surpass FERC 881 optimization requirements in two weeks.
- Setting the stage for Dynamic Line Ratings. While FERC 881’s mandate only requires hourly or weekly measurements, utilities with Heimdall Power’s Neurons will have the infrastructure they need to achieve Dynamic Line Ratings, Heimdall Power said.
“The upcoming FERC 881 order is merely the first domino to fall in a slew of upcoming enhancements that utilities will need to make to keep up with the increasing demand for electricity,” said Jørgen Festervoll, CEO of Heimdall Power. “The good news is that this regulation is prompting companies to consider how they can use technology to unlock transmission capacity they’ve never been able to access. Those that view this moment as an opportunity to lay the foundation for dynamic line ratings can increase their transmission capacity by a significant margin–and avoid the years-long infrastructure projects that once seemed like the only option.”
Over the summer, Heimdall Power announced it had raised $25 million. At the time, the company said the new funding would be used to scale the production and installation of the Neuron sensor product and expand into international markets.
Earlier this year, Minnesota-based Great River Energy, a Midwest power cooperative, announced it had expanded its power line capacity by an average of 25%, due to its use of Heimdall Power’s sensors.
Heimdall Power recently caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Energy and was invited to the White House after its success unlocking up to 42.8% more transmission capacity for Great River Energy.
In April, the company kicked off the country’s largest grid-optimization project to date with the power cooperative that now has sensors on power lines spanning Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.
In late 2023, Great River Energy installed four of Heimdall Power’s Neurons to collect and measure real-time data on current, line angle, temperature, and weather conditions. Having originally set out to determine and resolve the causes of congestion on one of its key lines, Great River Energy says its work with Heimdall Power has achieved as much as a 42.8% increase in electricity capacity on a single line.
In April, the AES Corporation and LineVision published a case study related to the ongoing demonstration project from the largest single deployment of Dynamic Line Ratings (DLR) in the United States. In the case study, the companies said standard transmission lines with extra high voltage and steel structures are “well-suited” for DLR models. The DLR deployment “significantly improved” situational awareness, the companies said. However, some high-voltage and sub-transmission lines, especially those with older construction and wood pole support, may require additional model training.
