

This is how conventional power plants operate. Prior to the advent of renewable energy resources, the primary type of electrical production was creating steam to spin a turbine, which in turn created electricity.
#ELECTRICAL GRID GENERATOR#
In fact, transmission line or generator outages in one part of an interconnect can cause cascading blackouts to occur hundreds or thousands of miles away, as occurred during the 2003 Northeast blackout.Įlectrical generation: conventional and renewable sources As a result, if you live in Boston, where EnergySage is located, you are electrically connected to people as far away as Florida. In fact, the Eastern and Western Interconnects even extend into neighboring countries. Interestingly, in the US, the grid is split into three sections in the contiguous states: the Eastern Interconnect, the Western Interconnect and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
#ELECTRICAL GRID PLUS#
Grid operators, such as the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and the Pennsylvania-Jersey-Maryland Regional Transmission Operator (PJM RTO), maintain this balance through a mix of market awareness and insights plus forecasts of weather, demand, and supply, with a goal of providing low-cost and reliable electricity service.
#ELECTRICAL GRID SERIES#
To keep the grid functioning requires a delicate balance between supply and demand, as well as a highly integrated series of components throughout the country. The electrical grid is a complex network of electrical generators (i.e., power plants) and transmission and distribution lines that dynamically responds to shifts in electrical supply and demand to make sure electricity is always supplied reliably. While the function it provides–creating and moving electricity to where it’s needed–may sound simple, the grid itself is anything but. DOE is also developing planning tools, such as metrics to track grid resilience, but could better guide these efforts and better inform utilities about available resources.The electrical grid is, truly, a marvel of modern engineering. In addition, DOE should coordinate its efforts to enhance the electricity grid’s resilience to climate change, and FERC should also assess grid climate risks. However, DOE should address lessons learned from previous disasters to prioritize recovery efforts. For example, agencies took unprecedented roles in restoring power in Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Federal agencies coordinate to support local electric utilities in restoring power after a disaster.For instance, DOE should ensure the plans it develops to implement the federal cybersecurity strategy more fully address risks to the grid’s distribution systems. However, both DOE and FERC could improve their efforts in these areas. DOE has developed plans to implement a strategy for addressing grid cybersecurity risks, and FERC has approved mandatory grid cybersecurity standards. The federal government has a significant role in addressing cybersecurity risks facing the electricity grid, even though most of the grid is owned and operated by private industry.However, these technologies also present challenges, such as uncertainty about how they perform over time and in various operating conditions. Deployment of energy storage and solar and other technologies could make electricity grids operate more efficiently and provide other benefits-such as cleaner generation of electricity.These and other federal agencies play various roles in addressing challenges facing the electric utility industry. FERC regulates wholesale electricity markets and is responsible for reviewing and approving mandatory electric reliability standards.
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DOE is also responsible for things like collaborating with the owners and operators of critical infrastructure, identifying vulnerabilities, and helping to mitigate incidents. For example, DOE seeks to ensure that the nation’s energy delivery system is secure, resilient, and reliable.
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The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) have key responsibilities related to the electric utility industry. However, the electric utility industry faces significant challenges, including aging infrastructure, changes in the sources of power generation, and increased physical and cybersecurity risks. The nation’s electricity grid delivers electricity that is essential for modern life.
