AC transmission: Relationships

Every element and industry that AC transmission is linked to, and how. Each pair has its own card explaining the relationships between the two.

Transformers and power electronics: Every AC line begins and ends at a transformer, so transformer supply now limits how fast grids can grow: prices rose about 75% since 2019 and large units take up to four years, and India missed its 2025-26 substation target by about 10%. (researched)
HVDC links: HVDC and AC lines both move bulk power, but DC wins beyond a break-even distance of roughly 300 to 800 km overhead or 50 to 100 km of cable; every DC link starts and ends in an AC grid, so the two are rivals on long routes and partners everywhere else. (researched)
Lithium iron phosphate batteries: Grid batteries, now mostly LFP, charge from the transmission grid when power is cheap and feed it back at the evening peak, and India is pushing them with viability gap funding and transmission charge waivers that treat storage as part of the grid. (researched)
Pumped hydro storage: Pumped storage plants are the grid's oldest form of large-scale storage: they pump water uphill with surplus grid power and return it at peaks, and India is building a pipeline of them, about 7.4 GW running and 15.9 GW under construction in 2026, to balance solar. (researched)
Aluminium: Overhead AC lines are strung with aluminium conductors around a steel core, so line building is a large, steady aluminium market; in India the power transmission and distribution sector takes about 48% of aluminium use, and the 2032 grid plan adds to it. (researched)
Data centres and cloud: Large data centre campuses now ask for 100 MW to 1 GW each and must be connected to the high-voltage AC grid, so the pace of transmission and substation build, not servers or capital, sets how fast they can open; in Northern Virginia waits for big connections reached up to seven years in 2024. (researched)
Copper: AC transmission needs copper; their prices have moved together.
Distribution grids, mini-grids and interconnectors: Energy flows from AC transmission to distribution grids, mini-grids and interconnectors; their prices have moved together.
Liquid air storage: Energy flows from AC transmission to liquid air storage; energy flows from liquid air storage to AC transmission.
Steel: AC transmission needs steel; their prices have moved together.
Underground, submarine and superconducting cables: Energy flows from underground, submarine and superconducting cables to AC transmission; their prices have moved together.
AI and digital platforms: AI and digital platforms depends on AC transmission.
Advanced geothermal: Energy flows from advanced geothermal to AC transmission.
Aerospace and defence: Aerospace and defence depends on AC transmission.
Bagasse and black-liquor cogeneration: Energy flows from bagasse and black-liquor cogeneration to AC transmission.
Carnot batteries: Energy flows from AC transmission to carnot batteries.
Compressed-air and CO2 storage: Energy flows from AC transmission to compressed-air and CO2 storage.
Computers and electronics: Computers and electronics depends on AC transmission.
Education and research: Education and research depends on AC transmission.
Electrical equipment: Electrical equipment depends on AC transmission.
Electrolysers: Energy flows from AC transmission to electrolysers.
Energy-intensive industry: Energy flows from AC transmission to energy-intensive industry.
Epoxy resins: Their prices have moved together.
Flow batteries: Energy flows from AC transmission to flow batteries.
Flywheels and small mechanical stores: Energy flows from AC transmission to flywheels and small mechanical stores.
Generators and alternators: Energy flows from generators and alternators to AC transmission.
Geothermal power plants: Energy flows from geothermal power plants to AC transmission.
Gravity storage: Energy flows from AC transmission to gravity storage.
High-temperature batteries: Energy flows from AC transmission to high-temperature batteries.
Hydropower dams: Energy flows from hydropower dams to AC transmission.
Medical devices: Medical devices depends on AC transmission.
Metal products: Metal products depends on AC transmission.
Metal-air batteries: Energy flows from AC transmission to metal-air batteries.
Onshore wind: Energy flows from onshore wind to AC transmission.
Semiconductors: Semiconductors depends on AC transmission.
Solar photovoltaics: Energy flows from solar photovoltaics to AC transmission.
Steel plant energy recovery: Energy flows from steel plant energy recovery to AC transmission.
Telecommunications: Telecommunications depends on AC transmission.
Tidal and ocean-current power: Energy flows from tidal and ocean-current power to AC transmission.
Waste and recycling: Waste and recycling depends on AC transmission.
Waste-heat power (steam Rankine): Energy flows from waste-heat power (steam Rankine) to AC transmission.