Eversource and Dartmouth Engineering have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) under its Speed to Power (SPARK) program for an innovative initiative designed to improve reliability and keep costs as low as possible for customers. Referred to as the Dynamic Rating Enhancement Advancements and Modernization (DREAM) initiative, the collaboration between Eversource and Dartmouth Engineering will leverage grid-enhancing technologies to increase the capacity of the existing electric grid, enhance system resiliency, and help lower costs for customers.

As developed by Eversource and Professor Junbo Zhao’s team at Dartmouth, the DREAM initiative combines leading-edge research with utility expertise to advance practical solutions for the electric grid. By deploying dynamic line rating (DLR) technology across approximately 4,000 miles of Eversource's transmission network in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the initiative will provide operators with enhanced real-time visibility into system conditions and enable more efficient use of existing infrastructure. It will also leverage thermal field sensing to provide on-the-ground measurements of actual conditions, advanced weather forecasting, digital analytical models and operational integration that supports the decision-making process for remote system operators – ultimately providing more real-time data that reflects actual operating conditions in order to maximize use of the existing transmission system.

 

The partnership will continue as Eversource and Dartmouth Engineering will work with DOE through the award negotiation process to further develop and demonstrate how dynamic line rating technology can increase transmission capacity, strengthen reliability and support evolving energy demands across the region with an emphasis on affordability for customers. Pending successful negotiations and execution of a final award agreement, the award could represent approximately $47.7 million in funding for the initiative, which would be expected to begin in 2027. Eversource's DREAM initiative was one of 31 projects selected across 26 states.