The electric transmission and distribution (T&D) system will play an important role in realizing reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and in implementing carbon management strategies for the electricity sector. This role has two aspects:

• improving the energy efficiency of the electric T&D infrastructure to reduce power delivery losses and GHG emissions
• enabling installation and integration of renewable and other clean power systems; energy efficient buildings, "smart-grid" technologies, and industrial equipment; and potentially low-carbon transportation alternatives such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

Reducing the losses that occur in power line transmission and improving the energy efficiency of electric T&D is one mechanism for reducing GHG emissions. High temperature superconducting (HTS) power cables, transformers, motors, generators, and fault current limiters generally operate with significantly lower energy losses than conventional equipment (near zero, in some applications).

Power line losses are greatest during periods of peak electricity demand, when electric T&D equipment is often being used at or near its physical thermal limits. OE's efforts to develop and promote technologies, tools, and techniques that reduce peak demand and relieve transmission congestion also reduce thermal loadings on electric delivery equipment and energy losses, thus increasing the energy efficiency of electric T&D, and providing the opportunity for GHG reductions.

OE's efforts to develop T&D technologies and promote more effective regional planning are intended to make it easier, and ultimately more cost-effective, to install and operate renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies such as wind, photovoltaics, and combined heat and power and integrate them into the electric grid in a reliable and safe manner.

The deployment of cleaner sources of electricity production such as clean coal, emissions-free nuclear, and renewable technologies will require additional T&D capacity in order to bring their benefits to market.

Energy efficient buildings, factories, appliances, and equipment will benefit from having an electric distribution system that includes real-time controls, distributed generation and storage, and advanced metering infrastructure. (See National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency.)

Finally, the successful deployment of electric vehicles (including plug-in hybrids) will need an electric distribution system that is capable of providing charging services to consumers in a cost-effective manner that doesn't exacerbate peak demand or result in other possibly deleterious effects on the grid.