Here’s What Our Energy Grid Looks Like
- Posted by: Andrew Price
- on February 23, 2009 at 4:48 pm
You’ve probably heard about our outdated energy grid and the need to create a new, “smart” one. Here’s what the problem—and a possible solution—look like.
The first map here shows our current high-voltage transmission lines. These are like the freeways for energy. As you can see, they’re far from comprehensive. Most importantly, they don’t do a good job of connecting New Mexico and Texas (two areas with great solar power potential) or Oklahoma, Kansas, and the other plains states (where there’s great potential for wind power) to the rest of the country. So even if we started harvesting that clean energy we couldn’t distribute it effectively.
Below is a picture of what a new energy grid might look like.
Along with just doing a better job of connecting the future sources of clean energy with the rest of the country, a “smart” grid, as typically envisioned, would have better real-time metering and built-in redundancy that would help prevent power outages and security threats.
It’s unclear what the price tag for this “smart” grid would be, but The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that “electricity disruptions cost the economy upward of $100 billion each year in damages and lost business,” and that’s to say nothing of problems the old grid presents for clean energy and the environment. Suffice it to say it’s probably worth it.
Both maps come from a new report on building a smart grid from the Center for American Progress. If you have 20 minutes, this is as good—and readable—a primer as you’ll find on the issue.
Via Matt Yglesias.
DISCUSSION: 40 Comments
Here’s and interesting project in Texas worth keeping an eye on
Is there anything in the new stimulus bill that funds any part of this?
Doubtful Moebius, we all know that any type of spending in that package is pork barrel wasteful pet projects with no actual use to the US, according to the GOP
I just looked it up and it says on the bottom of page 24 in the stimulus bill: For an additional amount for ‘‘Electricity Delivery and EnergyReliability,’’ $4,500,000,000: Provided, That funds shall be availablefor expenses necessary for electricity delivery and energy reliabilityactivities to modernize the electric grid, to include demand responsiveequipment, enhance security and reliability of the energy infrastructure,energy storage research, development, demonstration anddeployment, and facilitate recovery from disruptions to the energysupply, and for implementation of programs authorized under titleXIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 …”Seems like a decent amount to at least start the process. However, when I see that $3,400,000,000 are going to ‘‘Fossil Energy Research andDevelopment’’ (see page 25), I don’t feel so good any more.
Is there some sort of reason to completely leave out the southeastern part of the US?
Preparing for a succession perhaps?
Today, on TV the President said the jobs that went off-shore will not come back. What the hell do we need more power for? Popping corn and watching old movies?The car industry is next to go, then what? We have nothing left!
Seems like the SE and NE are left out…
A Brain Scann, that. I pity America, especially Texas. Just a bunch of retarded deluded — they call it religious, as if that would merit any respect — underdeveloped apes. Grow up, go to your library, effing nitwits,
Is it just me or does the new “smart grid” seem to exclude the Dirty South? Being a Floridian I’m concerned.
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my guess is that they dont need to build a new grid someplace where there is already a grid… The additions would go along with what is in the first picture.
Take it from a seasoned engineer..you have no hope of building a grid like that
did ne1 forget how much elect the NE area including the outsanding MY area uses? Looks like the “new” grid just touches manhat island. will that power all of NE? And where did the back up connections through Canada go? IMHO needs a revamp.
Posted by: Anonymous on July 15, 2009 at 2:42 am”my guess is that they dont need to build a new grid someplace where there is already a grid… The additions would go along with what is in the first picture.” - tru. follow the lines and they seem like they would connect together.
No chance of this happening and of course theres no stimulus money for this project simply because it is a concept
this is nice but with obama blowing our budget out the water we’re fucked.i give the US 20-25 years bfr the country is bankrupt.state workers are getting their paychecks cut a total of 25% in california the worlds 8th largest economy… going bankrupt? ;[and the US deficit is now at $1trillion the highest it's ever been.wtf is obama doing?instead of stimulating our economy he's throwing money at the ppl who already don't work didn't work and don't plan on working.great job idiot.im all for a segregated white house.but obama kinda blew it one too many.RECALL ANYONE? ;]
So let me get this straight…The electric utility industry manipulates energy markets ala Enron while deferring infrastructural investments for so long, that the federal government actually has to get involved, to inject some remedial leadership into the situation.At which point, the taxpayers get to foot the bill. I guess that’s the American way nowadays.And yes, I know… the industry is already so heavily subsidized that my electric utility bill only covers a portion of the true cost of electricity.But how come the government is having to play a leadership role in the push for smart grids, or let’s just say, grids? If our stagnating bureaucratic government would be somehow better at leadership, what does this imply about the existing leadership of the electric industry?
Why do none of the lines in either picture go to the Niagara region? The famous Niagara Falls has some incredible power generation on both sides of the border…
if you look at the history of the bulk electric grid you’ll see that very few, if any high voltage lines were built by public companies. they have almost all been paid for by the fed. Federal Emminent Domain is the only way any of these power lines are going to get built. Also, consider the fact that the drawings of the lines we “need” are from the larges coal burning utility company in the country. Its kind of ironic that the coal burners are providing maps of transmission for wind and solar.
So where the hell does the Southeast get its power from?
Cubicle…ever hear of TVA? It’s a little pet project of a former president.
Impossible. If it’s so easy to make huge straight lines of massive amounts of power, then why are there no examples of this anywhere in the current grid? Do you want that going over YOUR house? That’s why it won’t happen. Ever.
There sure are a lot of comments here from people who don’t know what the hell they are talking about. This is not a new grid, it is an expansion and upgrade on the old grid. The reason there are not as many new lines in the south-east is that there is already an efficient functioning grid there. The stimulus bill is paying for this, and creating jobs for the installation and maintenance of all of those miles of lines. This is progress. This is a good thing. Maybe we should call it a “consolidation of the national power grid in the name of national security.” There that is something you cowards can get behind.
Continued pressure upon politicians to start public works projects for the creation of modernized infrastructure using renewable energy sources is what we need to migrate away from continued depletion of our economy through the dependence of importing foreign oil and the first steps towards energy independence and recovery from our current financial recession … if we’re going to pump billions of dollars into bailout money, this effort should take priority …