To avoid that, utilities can respond in various ways, like so-called load shedding: automatically disconnecting some people’s power. Grid operators have to constantly monitor supply and demand to make sure they’re equal: if there’s an imbalance, it can end up damaging power plants. Power moves down that chain from generators (such as turbines and solar arrays) to very high-voltage transmission lines, to lower-voltage distribution networks, to your outlets, lights and electric-vehicle-charging station. The grid is a chain of interconnected machines spanning North America. It stated that the “majority of the nation’s grid is aging, with some components over a century old-far past their 50-year life expectancy-and others, including 70% of transmission and distribution lines, are well into the second half of their lifespans.”īut what is the power grid exactly? And how might making it “smart” help to protect us all from the shock of widespread power failure? In 2021 the American Society of Civil Engineers gave our energy sector a C– grade. Months later, wide-scale droughts and wildfires threatened the western US with rolling blackouts. In February 2021, an electric grid failure in Texas caused more than 4.5 million homes and businesses to lose power.
The possibility of a massive, extended blackout may sound far-fetched, but recent events show there are reasons for concern. What would you do if your electricity was suddenly cut? What if you didn’t have power for days or weeks? What if no one in the city or the state you live in had any power either?
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