Transcend Announces the Utility Interconnection Hub: Advancing Grid Access for Renewable Energy Projects 

Princeton, NJ, October 15, 2024 – Transcend, a global leader in generative design for critical infrastructure, proudly announces Phase 1 of its groundbreaking Utility Interconnection Hub. Designed to streamline the process of connecting renewable energy to the grid, this innovative solution helps developers and utilities overcome significant challenges in interconnection design compliance and approval. Leveraging generative design, the Utility Interconnection Hub aims to reduce delays that have historically hindered renewable energy project timelines and kept much needed clean energy from the grid. 

Addressing the Challenge of Grid Interconnection Backlogs 

Electric utilities in the U.S. are facing increasing bottlenecks in connecting new renewable energy sources to the grid. In states like New York, the current backlog for interconnection approval spans as long as four years, while in the central US interconnections can face delays of over two years. One major contributor to this delay is the recurring issue of substation designs not meeting local utility standards. Renewable developers, often trying to minimize expenses in early project stages, submit designs that require multiple rounds of costly revisions, further slowing the interconnection process. 

The Utility Interconnection Hub: A Solution for Efficiency and Compliance 

Transcend’s Utility Interconnection Hub offers a solution to these bottlenecks by empowering developers to submit fully compliant collector substation designs on their first submission. This new approach allows developers to generate, submit, and track substation design packages directly through the utility’s website using the Transcend Design Generator (TDG) platform. The Utility Interconnection Hub ensures that every design adheres to utility-specific standards, reducing the need for iterative revisions and expediting the approval process. 

Utilities subscribing to this platform gain greater influence over the interconnection queue, improving both the quality of applications and the speed at which they can be reviewed and approved. By streamlining design submissions, utilities can reduce backlogs and associated overhead costs while developers benefit from a faster, more cost-effective submission process. 

Phase 1 Success: Laying the Foundation for the Future 

“Phase 1 of the Utility Interconnection Hub is about establishing the foundation for a more efficient interconnection process, benefiting both utilities and developers alike,” said Ari Raivetz, Founder and CEO of Transcend. “By offering a centralized, compliant design solution, we are enabling developers to submit high-quality designs quickly, reducing review times, and supporting the utility’s ongoing grid expansion efforts.” 

Key features of Phase 1 include: 

• Enabling developer registration for utility specific generative design submissions directly on utility websites. 

• Integration of location- and utility-specific substation standards directly into the platform. 

• Full administrative control for utilities to manage developer registrations and monitor project submissions. 

• Monthly reports on utility hub usage, delivered by Transcend’s customer success team. 

Transcend made the announcement at the NextGrid Alliance Summit, a gathering of more than 200 senior leaders from the power utility and startup industries. The NextGrid Alliance serves as a trusted advisor to utility innovation teams worldwide, facilitating introductions to startups whose technologies can help collectively address the clean energy transition. 

“The electricity grid requires significant upgrades to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 – and to meet rising demand today from artificial intelligence and electric vehicles and heat,” said Steve Smith, President of National Grid Partners, which convenes the NextGrid Alliance.  

“As the venture investing and innovation arm of one of the world’s largest utilities, we believe the combination of startup innovation and utility scale is a key to speeding the energy transition and keeping it affordable,” Smith continued. “Startups like Transcend can help renewable developers connect faster with fewer delays.” 

Looking Ahead: The Future of Grid Interconnection 

As part of its long-term vision, Transcend will to continue expanding the capabilities of the Transcend platform and the Utility Interconnection Hub solution. Future phases will include additional utility-specific settings, enhanced user group functionality, and ongoing support to ensure compliance with evolving grid requirements. The hub will provide utilities with service area-wide visibility into submissions, helping to inform grid expansion and management strategies. 

With the introduction of the Utility Interconnection Hub, Transcend is reinforcing its commitment to helping renewable developers and utilities work together more efficiently, speeding up the transition to a clean energy future. 
 
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For more information about the Utility Interconnection Hub or to inquire about implementing the solution at your utility, please visit www.transcendinfra.com/utilityconnect/ or contact info@transcendinfra.com.