The Optimization of Transmission Lines in Brazil: Proven Experience and Recent Developments in Research and Development

In the last two decades, the Brazilian power sector has undergone a major transformation, instituting more thorough processes for the licensing and construction of new transmission lines, stricter standards for electromagnetic (EM) fields in the vicinity of these lines, and harsher regulatory penalties for unscheduled power outages. This article describes concepts that are being applied in Brazil in the design and construction of new transmission projects, which have resulted from continued research that Centro de Pesquisas de Energia El?trica (CEPEL) has been conducting for decades on the measurement, monitoring, and uprating of transmission lines.