GridWrap Secures $5.9M Project to Test Composite Reinforcement for Power Lines
Source announcement: 27 October 2026 | Industry coverage: 29 October 2026
US technology company GridWrap has announced its selection for a US$5.9 million California Energy Commission project to validate its Composite WiRe Wrap system under real electricity-grid operating conditions. The project is intended to examine whether reinforcing existing overhead conductors with composite material can improve transmission capacity and resilience without requiring complete line replacement.
The proposed approach applies reinforcement to existing conductors, with an automated installation system intended to limit disruption. GridWrap says its technology could increase line capacity and reduce thermal sag. Those figures remain company performance claims that the forthcoming demonstration is designed to assess; they should not be interpreted as independently verified results from this project.
The planned work involves San Diego State University’s Brawley campus, Idaho National Laboratory and the Electric Power Research Institute. For composite-material suppliers, the project illustrates a potential application of fibre-reinforced systems in energy infrastructure, beyond established pipe, tank and structural uses.
Sources: GridWrap announcement distributed by Business Wire; JEC, 29 October 2026.
