Composite WiRe Wrap: Advancing Grid Capacity and Wildfire Safety in California

The purpose of this Agreement is to fund applied research, development, and testing of a composite wire wrap technology that can increase the power capacity and structural performance of existing grid infrastructure, support integration of renewable energy, and increase grid resilience and reliability. The rapid deployment of intermittent renewable energy resources and widespread shift towards building and vehicle electrification are straining California's electric grid infrastructure. Grid challenges such as congestion, renewable curtailment, and insufficient capacity to connect new resources and loads illustrate the need for advanced grid technology solutions that facilitate achieving the state's energy and climate goals while increasing grid resilience and reliability. At the same time, ratepayers face affordability challenges largely driven by wildfire mitigation costs. There is a critical need to develop and deploy scalable, cost-effective solutions that affordably increase grid capacity, resilience, and reliability in the face of climate change and wildfire threats. GirdWrap, Inc. has developed a Composite WiRe Wrap system for direct installation on existing electrical lines. The proposed solution increases power capacity, and the performance and safety of the electrical grid while reducing the need for costly and lengthy system rebuilds. Scaled deployment can support California in achieving its statutory energy goals by enabling clean energy integration, increasing grid resilience, and improving energy affordability. As part of this research, the recipient will carry out a pilot test of the technology at two sites administered by San Diego State University, in order to verify wire wrap performance in a large-scale demonstration under relevant environmental conditions over a minimum of 12 months.