High-temperature superconducting cables can transmit up to five times as much electricity as conventional cables over the same rights-of-way. And, because the cable loses very little energy in the form of heat, it will cut electrical transmission losses in half - from 8 percent to 4 percent. High-temperature superconducting cables come in different configurations, but all feature significant improvements over conventional transmission cables. ORNL partner Southwire Company of Carrollton, Ga., installed a first-generation 100-foot cable made of bismuth-strontium-calcium-copper-oxide that has provided power to the Southwire industrial complex for more than 22,000 hours. And ORNL's RABiTS (rolling assisted, biaxially textured substrates), a patented technology and winner of an R&D 100 Award, is another potential big player in power transmission of the future.
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