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Comment by dylan604 | Hacker News Reader

thanks. was unfamiliar with this term. so my next natural question is how do you replace the existing lines while still delivering power using the existing network? i guess that's why linesmen get paid the big bucks since they have to work with an energized wire rather than the standard "ensure the line is dead by turning off the breaker".

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https://86dave.wordpress.com/86-dave/technology/reconductori... ("Reconductoring a transmission line")

https://www.energy.gov/lpo/articles/pge-reconductoring-proje... ("Revised Biological Assessment for the Carrizo-Midway 230kV Reconductoring Project") (Start at Page 41)

Not that reconductoring should not be done, but it would be great to leave the existing lines in place and stringing a new set to allow for both AC and DC, which requires only 1 - 2 conductors per circuit. To do that would require a level of coordination and vested interest that likely only Tesla has atm. Berkshire is also a possibility (maybe after Buffett is gone and interest rates are lower) with the huge cash pile that would have made sense to at least pay for electrifying their rail lines given the cross interest with reducing (re)insurance claims.

What are you talking about? One of the main reasons for using AC instead of DC was because of the transmission issue.

AC was chosen because higher voltages are more efficient to transmit; a transformer that works with AC power can be made with some wire and an iron nail. To convert DC power semiconductors are needed that can switch quickly; those didn't exist for about 50 years after electricity was wide spread. toomuchtodo's deleted comment also adds: > (HV)DC requires less conductor per unit distance than an AC line, as there is no need to support three phases and there is no skin effect. AC systems use a higher peak voltage for the same power, increasing insulator costs.

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