As the world electrifies, investments in utilities will continue to increase. To support more renewable energy, utility companies and grid authorities are investing in upgrading and maintaining their infrastructure. While the grid still functions well, much of the equipment deployed in grid applications is decades old. These new investments in grid infrastructure set the foundation for a sustainable, adaptable grid that can meet future energy demands and challenges.
Grid modernization is the process of enhancing the electricity grid, making it more resilient and efficient. As technology continues to advance, grid modernization is crucial to minimizing power outages and restoring services rapidly in the event of an outage. Grid modernization also supports a low-carbon energy system. As renewable sources of energy grow more prevalent, grids must adapt to carry electricity longer distances from remote renewable power installations to homes and businesses.
Grid modernization is important since it impacts many different groups. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) writes, “The electric grid is more than just generation and transmission infrastructure. It is an ecosystem of asset owners, manufacturers, service providers, and government officials at Federal, state, and local levels, all working together to run one of the most reliable electrical grids in the world.” We can expect to see energy infrastructure continue to adapt and improve to meet the needs of ever-changing technologies.
The U.S. DOE has been actively investing in grid modernization. In 2023, it distributed up to $39 million in projects across its National Laboratories. These projects support building a resilient, reliable and clean electricity grid. The Grid Resilience Innovative Partnership, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allocated $13 billion to modernize and expand America’s power grid. These investments contribute to the ongoing transformation of electric grids, ensuring they meet the challenges of modern technology while supporting sustainability and reliability.
nVent has been a trusted partner to the utility industry for many decades, designing and manufacturing solutions that connect and protect critical assets for safer, more resilient power utility infrastructure. We bring leading expertise throughout the utility environment, including power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure as well as renewables applications, positioning nVent to meet the needs of the next-generation smart grid.
nVent’s solutions that support grid modernization include grounding and bonding, lightning protection, power connections for substations, energy generation installations and transmission lines. Explore our power utilities applications to learn more: Power Utility Connection and Protection Applications | nVent ERICO.