Energy Grid

In the modern world, people use cellphone, light, and almost every thing that required electricity. But where is the electricity come from? Well, it comes from the grid, which is a complex network of power plants and transformers connected by more than 450,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines.As we can see from the photo, electric power is generated at power plants and then moved by transmission lines to substations. A local distribution system of smaller, lower-voltage transmission lines moves power from substations to the customers.

The grid system is very important to us. Therefore, people need to constantly update, maintain and upgrade the infrastructures. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided the U.S. Department of Energy with $4.5 billion to modernize the electric power grid and to implement Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. He has two largest initiatives are the Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) Program and the Smart Grid Demonstration Program (SGDP.

Decades ago, people only used little amount of electricity for living. But today, we use a lot, and we need our grid to be smarter. The new Smart Grid allows for two-way communication between the utility and its customers, and the sensing along the transmission lines is what makes the grid smart. Like the Internet, the Smart Grid will consist of controls, computers, automation, and new technologies and equipment working together, but in this case, these technologies will work with the electrical grid to respond digitally to our quickly changing electric demand.

The benefits to smart grid is that it reduced operations and management costs for utilities, and further lower the costs for consumers. Another benefit is that the grid is more efficiency in transmission of electricity, and it can integrate with renewable energy systems, which helps in the globe warming.

Even though the Smart Grid does provide many benefits it does have negative aspects to it such as hacking. Because the Smart Grid is computer based, so there is potential risk that costumers’ information been stolen.

In conclusion, the Smart Grid is a great program for consumers, and also our environment. Although hacking is very bad, but nothing is perfect in the world. And as time goes by, we will develop a more secured way for the Smart Grid, with more feature, and more effective.

 

https://www.smartgrid.gov/the_smart_grid/smart_grid.html

http://energy.gov/articles/top-9-things-you-didnt-know-about-americas-power-grid

https://www.smartgrid.gov/recovery_act/project_information.html