China’s giant ultra-high voltage grid is ambitious as its high speed rail
Ultra-high voltage energy grids are needed for efficient power transmission across large distances. A 100 mile (160 km) power line at 765 kilovolt carrying 1000 MW of power can have losses of 1.1% to 0.5%. A 345-kilovolt line carrying the same load across the same distance has losses of 4.2%. China’s 1.1 megavolt line can …