The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected Pitch Aeronautics Inc. as the prime applicant for a proposal pairing weather-based transmission ratings with wire upgrades to raise the amount of electricity existing lines can carry.
DOE’s application identifies Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois and Farmington Electric Utility System as host utilities. It lists $37,034,911 in requested federal support and values the project at $75,565,842. DOE says the details may change before formal financial-assistance agreements are finalized.
Ameren said Pitch plans to deploy sensors along its transmission network and use software that combines current and forecast weather to calculate safe operating limits for the lines. The system is intended to help operators adjust ratings as conditions change.
Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois also plan to replace conductors on two high-voltage segments. Ameren expects the upgraded lines’ transfer limits to exceed twice their current levels in any weather.
Ameren says grid congestion can keep lower-cost electricity from reaching customers and may lead utilities to rely on more expensive local plants. The company expects the changes to ease those constraints and help connect new generation, but has not estimated possible customer savings.
The project is part of DOE’s SPARK initiative, whose full name is Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades. DOE announced Sept. 24 that it had selected 31 projects across 26 states under the program. The portfolio totals $5.25 billion, including $1.9 billion in federal funding and $3.35 billion in recipient cost share, and is projected to add more than 23 gigawatts of capacity.
Shawn Schukar, chairman and president of Ameren Transmission, said the technology can improve use of existing lines but does not remove the need for new transmission construction. DOE lists October 2026 through January 2027 as the expected award period for the project.
