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The U.S. power grids are essential to everyday life, the economy, and the safety of energy consumers. This network of power plants, transmission lines, and local distribution systems keeps electricity flowing to homes and businesses, hospitals, transportation systems, and many other important organizations operating across the country. Three major power grids span millions of miles to deliver electricity to consumers across the nation.
A power grid is a collection of systems that transports electricity from power generators to consumers. Multiple components are required to move electricity at this scale across the country. Here’s a step-by-step explanation of how the power grid works:
As emerging technologies diversify our energy sources, the power grid is slowly growing to integrate new electricity alternatives. Traditional energy sources, like fossil fuels, are still the most prevalent, but additional sources also contribute to the power grid. Here are the various power sources the grid employs:
Fossil fuel alternatives positively impact our environment by decreasing reliance on pollutants. While today’s power grid is still largely dependent on fossil fuels, fully renewable electricity plans are growing in popularity, especially in Texas. The Lone Star State is currently a nationwide leader in wind and solar production.
Federal agencies and local governments both play a role in controlling the power grid. On the federal level, power grids are overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). The FERC regulates interstate electricity transmission, whereas the NERC establishes reliability standards for the power grid.
Utility companies, municipalities, and rural communities often manage local power grids. They handle distribution systems and customer service to ensure residents receive electricity correctly and respond to electrical emergencies like power outages.
The Lone Star State has its own power grid, separate from the national power grids. The intention of this separation was to avoid federal intervention and regulation.
The Texas power grid is managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), and most of its power plants are located within the state. However, several grid interconnections exist between cities along the border of Texas near Oklahoma, Louisiana, or Mexico, for example. But because Texas has its own grid, it can only borrow a set amount of power from other grids in the event of an emergency. This independence can lead to power disasters like the 2021 Texas winter storm.
Transmission lines transport high-voltage electricity long distances, often between states and regions. Distribution lines carry out the last step and deliver lower-voltage electricity to local homes and businesses.
Transmission and distribution lines connect power plants to consumers. This interconnected network of power lines, both large and small, moves electricity from generators to local communities.
Power grids must maintain a balanced supply of electricity in accordance with society’s fluctuating demands. Monitoring systems help alert the grid when electricity usage goes up and signal that the grid should supply more power. Utility-scale electricity storage also helps in the event of a demand surge. Batteries serve as a backup power source in case the grid doesn’t produce enough electricity or in emergencies.
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