Bangladesh has doubled the transmission capacity of an existing power line using advanced conductor technology, potentially allowing more electricity to be delivered without building new transmission infrastructure, according to a report by US-based Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).
The technology could help Bangladesh expand electricity transmission capacity at significantly lower costs and in less time than conventional grid expansion, the report says.
The report, titled Locking in Prosperity: Ten Practical, Evidence-Backed Actions Toward Affordable, Reliable, and Secure Power Systems, highlights Bangladesh’s experience with advanced transmission technology as an example of how existing grid infrastructure can be upgraded to carry more electricity.
However, the report does not identify the transmission line where the technology has already been deployed.
It says advanced transmission technologies can increase capacity at a cost of $60,000-$70,000 per megawatt, compared with $300,000-$600,000 per megawatt for building new transmission infrastructure to provide the same capacity.
Such upgrades can generally be completed within six to 18 months and require less land acquisition, permitting and construction work than conventional transmission projects.
RMI says Bangladesh’s growing electricity demand makes it increasingly important to improve the capacity to transmit and deliver power. Better utilisation of existing transmission lines could reduce pressure to build new infrastructure and help address grid bottlenecks.
The report recommends that policymakers and grid operators identify weak points in transmission networks and prioritise sections where advanced technologies could deliver the greatest capacity gains. It also suggests testing the technologies in strategically important sections before incorporating them into regular transmission planning.
Drawing on 20 case studies across 15 countries, the report outlines 10 practical actions governments and utilities can take to accelerate the clean energy transition. These include flexible power planning, energy-efficient cooling, electric vehicles, demand management, battery storage, grid stability, advanced transmission technologies, distributed solar and technology-neutral power procurement.
The report also highlights the rapid expansion of clean energy technologies worldwide. Global installed solar capacity reached 3 terawatts in 2025, with 660 gigawatts added that year alone. Battery storage capacity has increased elevenfold since 2021 to around 300 gigawatts.
Citing international examples, the report says distributed solar in Brazil serves around nine million consumer units, while reforms to electricity connection rules in Great Britain reduced the project backlog by roughly 60%.
In Puerto Rico, a virtual power plant coordinating more than 110,000 distributed batteries helped maintain critical electricity reserves during 18 high-risk days. Colombia, meanwhile, unlocked more than 300MW of additional capacity on existing power lines through advanced transmission technologies.
The report warns that energy decisions made today could lock countries into expensive systems for decades. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contracts typically last 10-20 years, while gas-fired power plants can remain operational for 30-50 years.
Against this backdrop, RMI recommends investing in grid efficiency, renewable energy and modern technologies to reduce exposure to volatile international fuel markets while making electricity more affordable and reliable.
However, the report provides no details about the location, cost, implementation timeline or technical specifications of the Bangladeshi transmission line where capacity was doubled. This leaves questions about how widely the technology could be replicated across the country’s transmission network.
RMI released the report ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP31.
Mark Dyson, managing director of RMI’s Electricity Program, said practical steps taken today could lower electricity costs, improve reliability and strengthen energy security, often within months rather than years.
“Perfect forecasts aren’t necessary to make progress, and uncertainty is not a reason to stand still,” he said.
The report says early action can lay the foundation for larger investments, helping countries meet rising electricity demand, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce carbon emissions.
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