Independent transmission developers in both the northeastern and northwestern U.S. looking to bring Canada’s renewable electricity resources to power-hungry regions south of the border are installing hundreds of miles of line by using the path of least resistance—underwater.
“There’s a trend toward acceptance of this technology and this market,” says Christer Erikkson, director of business development at ABB Power Systems, a division of ABB Group, Zurich, Switzerland. The firm is one of the major manufacturers for high-voltage, direct- current (HVDC) lines and converter stations. “It’s easier to lay a cable underwater, and it’s generally better accepted because it’s out of sight, out of mind,” he adds, noting that in some cases, an underwater cable is the only option.