Refined Clearance Assessment of Overhead Lines Combining LiDAR, Climate Data, and PLS-CADD Finite Element Analysis

Efficient utilization of existing overhead line (OHL) infrastructure is becoming increasingly important as transmission system operators seek to meet rising electricity demand while minimizing the environmental and societal impact of new overhead lines. Traditional clearance assessments rely on conservative assumptions regarding conductor sag, environmental conditions, and terrain representation. While these assumptions ensure safety, they often lead to an underestimation of the actual available transmission capacity and may fail to identify localized clearance risks that develop over time due to changes in terrain, vegetation, or surrounding infrastructure.