Google’s new mission: Unlock transmission capacity for more wind to power data centres

With US onshore wind under pressure from a hostile President Donald Trump, the sector’s ability to remain cost-competitive over his four-year term could come down to the wire – literally.

New projects face interconnection delays, while grid congestion drains profitability of many operating ones, especially in the country's interior great plains region containing robust wind resource.

“Transmission is a critical bottleneck for clean power development,” American Clean Power Association, a trade group, said recently, adding “significantly more” long-haul, high-voltage lines will be needed to enable it.

Google is offering a solution: unlock lines' carrying capacity by scaling use of new partner CTC Global’s high-capacity advanced conductors.

The two California-based firms assert that deployment of advanced conductors like CTC Global’s has potential to double a power line’s capacity in months, as opposed to a decade, or even 15 years, for interstate long-haul transmission builds.

Planning, permitting, and paying are three big barriers that slow implementation of bulk transmission and progress toward a more efficient, reliable network.

“Expanding transmission capacity presents a significant opportunity for the power system today, and Google is committed to being a catalyst for a stronger and more reliable US power grid,” said Amanda Peterson Corio, global head of data centre energy at Google.

She added: “Expanded grid capacity will enable responsible data centre growth underpinning the modern digital world, while also increasing affordability for consumers, boosting energy reliability, and accelerating key industries like manufacturing.”

Electricity produced from other clean sources could also help fill line capacity including nuclear.

Advanced conductors are high-performance electric transmission wires designed to carry more power at higher temperatures than traditional ones.

They can do this by replacing the steel core of traditional conductors with materials that are stronger and lighter such as carbon fiber composites. The benefits are greater power capacity, and less energy loss and sag, enabling upgrade of existing wires without costly and substantial construction.

Sag is the curve of the wire at higher temperatures, a key consideration for keeping safe ground clearance in populated areas. Composite cores show lower thermal expansion than steel, according to CTC Global.

More broadly, reconductoring will accelerate regional economic growth and development, improve grid reliability and performance, and if widely implemented, reduce energy costs.

The US presently has about 642,000 miles (1.03 million km) of high-voltage transmission lines that delivered more than 4,300TWh of electricity in 2024.

The US installed 1,086 miles of high voltage lines last year, more than double 2023, but less than half a decade ago.

Google and CTC Global will identify “high impact” transmission lines through a request for information (RFI) to states, electric utilities, and transmission developers interested in collaborating on solutions to boost capacity across the country.

Responses are due on 14 July, with a full request for proposals to shortly follow.

“Applications are encouraged from areas where Google has existing or announced data centres, as well as their associated wholesale markets,” the companies said, which are operated by balancing authorities, some covering large regions or entire states such as New York.

The initiative will give priority to lines based on their potential to accelerate grid capacity with CTC Global’s technology.

The two firms will provide resources including cost assistance, workforce training, and technical support to validate the technology’s integration and impact.