Upgrading the US Electric Grid | The Oil Drum

Gail the Actuary on "Upgrading the US Electric Grid - Many pluses but some minuses too," Jan. 9, 2009.

Our current grid has been neglected for years, so that many of its parts are nearing the end of their useful lives. Currently, most customers have no incentive for using appliances and machinery at night, during times of excess capacity. This could reduce fuel usage during the day time. Also, as many have noted, to add more wind and solar capacity to the grid, upgrading the grid is a necessity. ...

What are the disadvantage of an upgraded electric grid?
1. Enhancing the grid is likely to enhance the perception that there is no need to cut back. ...
2. Cost. ...
3. Loss of local responsibility for production. ...
4. High cost electricity sources may be priced out of the market. ...
5. We may not be able to maintain the upgraded grid for very long. ...

And "Will the US Electric Grid Be Our Undoing?" Dec. 31, 2008 (reposted from May 2008).

From what I have learned in researching this topic, I expect that in the years ahead, we in the United States will have more and more problems with our electric grid. This is likely to result in electrical outages of greater and greater durations.

The primary reason for the likely problems is the fact that in the last few decades, the electric power industry has moved from being a regulated monopoly to an industry following more of a free market, competitive model. With this financing model, electricity is transported over long distances, as electricity is bought and sold by different providers. Furthermore, some of the electricity that is bought and sold is variable in supply, like wind and solar voltaic. A substantial upgrade to the electrical grid is needed to support all of these activities, but our existing financing models make it very difficult to fund such an upgrade.