Are superconducting power lines the key to a cleaner grid?

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Last year, researchers in South Korea made a splash after claiming to have discovered a room-temperature superconductor that they called LK99. One reason for the excitement was that such a material could enable ultra-efficient power lines, helping distribute the gigawatts of clean electricity now coming online while minimising the amount of new infrastructure needed.

LK99 proved to be a flop, and…