The average person probably doesn’t give a minute of thought to the electric grid. In fact, the only time you might think of the grid is while paying your utility bill or when you suffer a blackout.
We’ll, both of those things may turn more negative for the average consumer if we don’t get with it and start a genuine effort to modern the gird.
Here’s the issue: it will take decades to revamp the grid, not only to handle increased demand, but to continue to facilitate the transition to clean energy. Grid modernization isn’t something that we can wait till the last minute to address. We’re already at least 10-15 years behind where should be.
That delay may result in everyday consequences for all of us.
The lack of needed transmission in certain regions could drive up electric bills. That’s because insufficient transmission capacity can inhibit access to lower cost sources of electricity.
It can also lead to more frequent and longer blackouts, particularly during extreme weather. Increasingly, the question is no longer when was the last time the lights went out, but how many of us haven’t experienced a blackout due to weather?
But here’s the really scary one: delayed access. The lack of interregional transmission infrastructure could very well mean some consumers will be forced to pay much higher prices for supply. Just as Texans how it works out for them when their “island” grid needs to quickly “import” electricity during severe weather events.
The government is beginning to address the issue, but at the normal government glacial pace. It will take a good deal more to solve the problem in any sort of reasonable timeframe.
#poweroutages #gridmodernization #gridresilience #gridreliability #transmissionlines
