It's time to GETs going... on transmission!

Nora Apter

February 24, 2025

Oregon passed momentous legislation 2021 requiring Oregon’s largest electricity providers to shift to 80 percent clean electricity by 2030 and 100 percent clean electricity by 2040. Oregon’s transition to a 100% clean grid offers incredible opportunities for our state. If done right, this transition will serve as the clean energy backbone to power our buildings, transportation, and industries. It will revitalize local economies and create family-wage jobs in the clean energy sector. Moreover, it will improve health and affordability for environmental justice communities across the state by reducing harmful climate and air pollution and providing cost savings for Oregon families. However, we must tackle transmission system challenges head-on to realize these benefits.

In 2021, Oregon’s two largest utilities, Portland General Electric and Pacific Power, delivered more than half of their electricity to customers from fossil fuels. Three years later, those utilities still have a long way to go.

At the same time, the demand for electricity in Oregon is spiking. Some of that is due to an accelerating shift toward electrification of our homes, businesses, and vehicles. However, the vast majority of new demand has been driven by industrial expansion in general and data centers in particular. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) is having the most significant impact. It takes around 10 times the amount of electricity to run AI-driven internet searches as conventional searches.

These two paradigm shifts, the transition to clean electricity and the surge in demand for electricity, require that electric utilities build more renewable energy projects and expand the transmission grid to deliver that new electricity to customers. Unfortunately, permitting and building a new transmission line in Oregon can take over two decades. So, while Oregon utilities work to expand the renewable generation and transmission systems, they need to find other tools to accelerate the transition.

That is where Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) come into play. GETs are a group of hardware and software solutions that increase transmission systems' efficiency, capacity, and reliability. Advanced conductors, one GETs technology, can increase by 40% the amount of electricity transmitted on existing lines with an investment payback in as little as two years! Conductors are equipment on transmission lines that help govern the flow of electricity. Advanced conductors take advantage of modern material science to enable increased power flows. Another example of GETs software technology is Topology Optimization. It acts as a smart navigation tool - Waze or Google Maps for the transmission grid - and automatically reconfigures electricity flows to avoid congested or overloaded transmission segments.

While GETs are relatively new, the federal government and leading states have already committed to accelerating the use of these technologies. In 2024, the Biden administration and the US DOE developed a plan to use GETs to upgrade 100,000 miles of transmission lines over the next five years to expand portions of the electricity grid. Colorado passed a bill in 2023 that requires its utilities to study the potential of GETs before breaking ground on a new transmission line. California, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Minnesota have introduced bills in the past year requiring their utilities to study GETs technologies and integrate them into their planning processes.

Given the pressing need for more transmission capacity in Oregon and the promise of GETs technologies, the Oregon Legislature must direct our Public Utility Commission and utilities to integrate GETs technologies into their planning processes. The 2025 legislature can act on legislation, HB 3336, to expand transmission capacity by requiring utilities to deploy cost-effective technologies to existing infrastructure. By developing and modernizing Oregon’s transmission capacity, this and other policies in the 2025 transmission package will help meet growing energy demands, increase resilience to severe weather events, and deliver the benefits of new renewable generation sources to ratepayers.

Author Bio

Nora Apter

Oregon Director, Climate Solutions

With over a decade of experience in public policy and environmental advocacy at the state, federal, and local levels, Nora champions ambitious, equitable policies that protect Oregon’s climate, strengthen community resilience, and support local economies. At Climate Solutions, she is dedicated to fostering the long-term success and resilience of the Oregon policy team.

Nora is committed to leveraging state policy as a blueprint for climate innovation and leadership. She believes in the power of coalitions to drive meaningful change and is passionate about building collaborative relationships and diverse partnerships to achieve a healthy, just, and thriving future for Oregon’s communities and climate.

Before joining Climate Solutions, Nora served as Director of Programs and Climate Program Director for Oregon Environmental Council (OEC). In these roles, she led dynamic teams and broad coalitions to advance lasting solutions to Oregon’s environmental challenges, spearheading statewide advocacy campaigns to secure landmark climate policies and solidify Oregon’s leadership in climate action. Earlier in her career, Nora spent eight years in Washington, D.C. defending and expanding federal environmental protections. As Deputy Director of Federal Affairs for NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), she guided legislative and administrative strategy across a wide-ranging environmental policy portfolio. Prior to NRDC, Nora served as a Legislative Aide to U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon.

Nora earned a B.A. in International Affairs and Economics from Lewis & Clark College in Portland. She serves as a Commissioner on the Oregon Climate Action Commission, where she helps shape strategies to achieve Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. Outside of work, Nora loves spending time with friends and family, exploring Portland’s vibrant food scene, seeing live music, and adventuring in Oregon’s natural landscapes.