Eversource and Dartmouth Engineering selected for U.S. Department of Energy SPARK Award to expand grid capacity and deliver customer benefits through grid-enhancing technology
Key Highlights
- ➤DOE selects Eversource (ES) and Dartmouth Engineering for SPARK grid initiative
- ➤DREAM initiative targets dynamic line ratings across approximately 4,000 miles of transmission network
- ➤Potential award represents approximately $47.7 million in funding, pending final agreement
- ➤Project expected to begin in 2027, subject to successful negotiations and award execution
- ➤Initiative could unlock transfer capacity and mitigate or delay certain new transmission construction
Expert Statements
Bill Quinlan, President of Transmission at Eversource
“We greatly appreciate the Department of Energy's investment in innovative solutions that can strengthen the New England electric grid and deliver significant reliability and affordability benefits to our customers.”
Bill Quinlan, President of Transmission at Eversource
“As demand for electricity continues to grow, the DREAM initiative will help us maximize the capability of our existing transmission system — which importantly will also help keep costs as low as possible for customers.”
Bill Quinlan, President of Transmission at Eversource
“We look forward to continuing our collaboration with DOE and Dartmouth Engineering to demonstrate how advanced, state-of-the-art grid technologies can help meet the region's evolving energy needs with an ever-present focus on affordability for our customers.”
Junbo Zhao, Todd M. Cook and Elizabeth Donohoe Cook Associate Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth
“Existing transmission lines can often carry more electricity than conventional ratings allow, but operators need reliable information about when that capacity is available and how to use it safely.”
Junbo Zhao, Todd M. Cook and Elizabeth Donohoe Cook Associate Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth
“DREAM brings together sensing, forecasting and digital twin analytics to turn that opportunity into practical tools for grid operations.”
Junbo Zhao, Todd M. Cook and Elizabeth Donohoe Cook Associate Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth
“Our partnership with Eversource offers an opportunity to move research into practice across an entire transmission network, helping deliver a more reliable and affordable electric grid for communities throughout New England.”
Douglas Van Citters, Dean and Professor, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth
“New England's geography, climate, and growing energy demand make reliable power delivery especially challenging.”
Douglas Van Citters, Dean and Professor, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth
“By pairing Dartmouth's advanced modeling with Eversource's operational knowledge, we can get more out of existing transmission lines and improve energy security for our region.”
Douglas Van Citters, Dean and Professor, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth
“This is a perfect example of how innovation moves from our labs to real-world impact.”
MANCHESTER, N.H., Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eversource and Dartmouth Engineering have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) under its Speed to Power (SPARK) program for an innovative initiative designed to improve reliability and keep costs as low as possible for customers. Referred to as the Dynamic Rating Enhancement Advancements and Modernization (DREAM) initiative, the collaboration between Eversource and Dartmouth Engineering will leverage grid-enhancing technologies to increase the capacity of the existing electric grid, enhance system resiliency, and help lower costs for customers.
As developed by Eversource and Professor Junbo Zhao’s team at Dartmouth, the DREAM initiative combines leading-edge research with utility expertise to advance practical solutions for the electric grid. By deploying dynamic line rating (DLR) technology across approximately 4,000 miles of Eversource's transmission network in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the initiative will provide operators with enhanced real-time visibility into system conditions and enable more efficient use of existing infrastructure. It will also leverage thermal field sensing to provide on-the-ground measurements of actual conditions, advanced weather forecasting, digital analytical models and operational integration that supports the decision-making process for remote system operators – ultimately providing more real-time data that reflects actual operating conditions in order to maximize use of the existing transmission system.
Get started
Create a free account to read the full story.