Download or read book Modernizing America s Electricity Infrastructure written by Mason Willrich and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2017-11-10 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive, coherent strategy for modernizing America's electricity infrastructure while ensuring affordable, reliable, secure, and environmentally sustainable electricity services. America's aging electricity infrastructure is deteriorating rapidly even as the need for highly reliable electric service—driven by the explosion of digital technology—continues to rise. Largely missing from national discussions, however, is a coherent, comprehensive national strategy for modernizing this critical infrastructure. Energy expert Mason Willrich presents just such a strategy in this book, connecting the dots across electric utilities, independent suppliers, government bureaucracies, political jurisdictions, and academic disciplines. He explains the need for a coherent approach, offers a framework for analyzing policy options, and proposes a step-by-step strategy for modernizing electrical infrastructure, end-to-end, in a way that ensures the delivery of affordable, reliable, secure, and environmentally sustainable electricity services. Willrich argues that an effective electrical infrastructure modernization strategy must incorporate flexibility, adaptability, and the capacity to coordinate policies at local, state, and federal levels. He reviews the history of America's electrification, from Edison's demonstration of the incandescent light bulb through the recent expansion of wind, solar, and energy efficiency as carbon-free energy resources. He describes the current ownership and operation of the electric industry and the complicated web of federal and state policies that govern it.
Download or read book Living on the Grid written by William L. Thompson and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2016-05-21 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There’s probably a good chance that you’ve turned on your television, computer, or an appliance without giving much thought about the electric grid. But when there’s a power outage, it’s a different story. Suddenly, you’re asking yourself questions such as: What is the electric grid and who owns it? Who controls the grid and how is it controlled? What causes a grid blackout? What is the future of the grid? William L. Thompson, who retired from Dominion Virginia Power after thirty-eight years in the electric business, answers those questions and many more in this book for anyone curious about the electric grid and how it works. In plain, simple language, he reveals what goes on behind the scenes at grid control centers across the country. He also explains how electricity is generated through renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. He also examines the causes behind the largest blackout in United States history and how global warming and technological developments could permanently change Living on the Grid.
Download or read book The Power of Change written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2016-09-30 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Electricity, supplied reliably and affordably, is foundational to the U.S. economy and is utterly indispensable to modern society. However, emissions resulting from many forms of electricity generation create environmental risks that could have significant negative economic, security, and human health consequences. Large-scale installation of cleaner power generation has been generally hampered because greener technologies are more expensive than the technologies that currently produce most of our power. Rather than trade affordability and reliability for low emissions, is there a way to balance all three? The Power of Change: Innovation for Development and Deployment of Increasingly Clean Energy Technologies considers how to speed up innovations that would dramatically improve the performance and lower the cost of currently available technologies while also developing new advanced cleaner energy technologies. According to this report, there is an opportunity for the United States to continue to lead in the pursuit of increasingly clean, more efficient electricity through innovation in advanced technologies. The Power of Change: Innovation for Development and Deployment of Increasingly Clean Energy Technologies makes the case that America's advantagesâ€"world-class universities and national laboratories, a vibrant private sector, and innovative states, cities, and regions that are free to experiment with a variety of public policy approachesâ€"position the United States to create and lead a new clean energy revolution. This study focuses on five paths to accelerate the market adoption of increasing clean energy and efficiency technologies: (1) expanding the portfolio of cleaner energy technology options; (2) leveraging the advantages of energy efficiency; (3) facilitating the development of increasing clean technologies, including renewables, nuclear, and cleaner fossil; (4) improving the existing technologies, systems, and infrastructure; and (5) leveling the playing field for cleaner energy technologies. The Power of Change: Innovation for Development and Deployment of Increasingly Clean Energy Technologies is a call for leadership to transform the United States energy sector in order to both mitigate the risks of greenhouse gas and other pollutants and to spur future economic growth. This study's focus on science, technology, and economic policy makes it a valuable resource to guide support that produces innovation to meet energy challenges now and for the future.
Download or read book Electric Power System Basics for the Nonelectrical Professional written by Steven W. Blume and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-12-05 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second edition of Steven W. Blume’s bestseller provides a comprehensive treatment of power technology for the non-electrical engineer working in the electric power industry This book aims to give non-electrical professionals a fundamental understanding of large interconnected electrical power systems, better known as the “Power Grid”, with regard to terminology, electrical concepts, design considerations, construction practices, industry standards, control room operations for both normal and emergency conditions, maintenance, consumption, telecommunications and safety. The text begins with an overview of the terminology and basic electrical concepts commonly used in the industry then it examines the generation, transmission and distribution of power. Other topics discussed include energy management, conservation of electrical energy, consumption characteristics and regulatory aspects to help readers understand modern electric power systems. This second edition features: New sections on renewable energy, regulatory changes, new measures to improve system reliability, and smart technologies used in the power grid system Updated practical examples, photographs, drawing, and illustrations to help the reader gain a better understanding of the material “Optional supplementary reading” sections within most chapters to elaborate on certain concepts by providing additional detail or background Electric Power System Basics for the Nonelectrical Professional, Second Edition, gives business professionals in the industry and entry-level engineers a strong introduction to power technology in non-technical terms. Steve W. Blume is Founder of Applied Professional Training, Inc., APT Global, LLC, APT College, LLC and APT Corporate Training Services, LLC, USA. Steve is a registered professional engineer and certified NERC Reliability Coordinator with a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering specializing in power and a Bachelor's degree specializing in Telecommunications. He has more than 25 years’ experience teaching electric power system basics to non-electrical professionals. Steve's engineering and operations experience includes generation, transmission, distribution, and electrical safety. He is an active senior member in IEEE and has published two books in power systems through IEEE and Wiley.
Download or read book Grid 2030 a National Vision for Electricity s Second 100 Years written by United States United States Department of Energy and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015-12-16 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 65 senior executives representing the electric utility industry, equipment manufacturers, information technology providers, Federal and state government agencies, interest groups, universities, and National Laboratories met to discuss the future of North America's electric system. (A list of the participants can be found in the appendix.) The intent of the meeting was to identify a national vision of the future electric system, covering the entire value chain: generation, transmission, distribution, storage, and end-use. The focus was on electric delivery - "the grid," or the portion of the electric infrastructure that lies between the central power plant and the customer - as well as the regulatory framework that governs system planning and market operations. The purpose of this document is to describe the common vision articulated at that meeting. The U.S. Department of Energy will use this vision to help implement President Bush's call for "...modernizing America's electric delivery system" and the 51 recommendations contained in the National Transmission Grid Study. Various stakeholders, including industry practitioners, policy makers, and researchers, will use the vision as the coordinating foundation for actions leading to the construction of a 21st century electric system. The vision will guide the development of the National Electric Delivery Technologies Roadmap.
Download or read book California Burning written by Katherine Blunt and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-08-30 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revelatory, urgent narrative with national implications, exploring the decline of California’s largest utility company that led to countless wildfires — including the one that destroyed the town of Paradise – and the human cost of infrastructure failure Pacific Gas and Electric was a legacy company built by innovators and visionaries, establishing California as a desirable home and economic powerhouse. In California Burning, Wall Street Journal reporter and Pulitzer finalist Katherine Blunt examines how that legacy fell apart—unraveling a long history of deadly failures in which Pacific Gas and Electric endangered millions of Northern Californians, through criminal neglect of its infrastructure. As PG&E prioritized profits and politics, power lines went unchecked—until a rusted hook purchased for 56 cents in 1921 split in two, sparking the deadliest wildfire in California history. Beginning with PG&E’s public reckoning after the Paradise fire, Blunt chronicles the evolution of PG&E’s shareholder base, from innovators who built some of California's first long-distance power lines to aggressive investors keen on reaping dividends. Following key players through pivotal decisions and legal battles, California Burning reveals the forces that shaped the plight of PG&E: deregulation and market-gaming led by Enron Corp., an unyielding push for renewable energy, and a swift increase in wildfire risk throughout the West, while regulators and lawmakers pushed their own agendas. California Burning is a deeply reported, character-driven narrative, the story of a disaster expanding into a much bigger exploration of accountability. It’s an American tragedy that serves as a cautionary tale for utilities across the nation—especially as climate change makes aging infrastructure more vulnerable, with potentially fatal consequences.
Download or read book Grid 2030 a National Vision for Electricity s Second 100 Years written by UNited States UNited States Department of Energy and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-06-24 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On April 2-3, 2003, 65 senior executives representing the electric utility industry, equipment manufacturers, information technology providers, Federal and state government agencies, interest groups, universities, and National Laboratories met to discuss the future of North America's electric system. (A list of the participants can be found in the appendix.) The intent of the meeting was to identify a national vision of the future electric system, covering the entire value chain: generation, transmission, distribution, storage, and end-use. The focus was on electric delivery - "the grid," or the portion of the electric infrastructure that lies between the central power plant and the customer - as well as the regulatory framework that governs system planning and market operations. The purpose of this document is to describe the common vision articulated at that meeting. The U.S. Department of Energy will use this vision to help implement President Bush's call for ..".modernizing America's electric delivery system" and the 51 recommendations contained in the National Transmission Grid Study. Various stakeholders, including industry practitioners, policy makers, and researchers, will use the vision as the coordinating foundation for actions leading to the construction of a 21st century electric system. The vision will guide the development of the National Electric Delivery Technologies Roadmap.
Download or read book The Grid written by Gretchen Bakke and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2017-07-11 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revelatory look at our national power grid--how it developed, its current flaws, and how it must be completely reimagined for our fast-approaching energy future. America's electrical grid, an engineering triumph of the twentieth century, is turning out to be a poor fit for the present. It's not just that the grid has grown old and is now in dire need of basic repair. Today, as we invest great hope in new energy sources--solar, wind, and other alternatives--the grid is what stands most firmly in the way of a brighter energy future. If we hope to realize this future, we need to reimagine the grid according to twenty-first-century values. It's a project which forces visionaries to work with bureaucrats, legislators with storm-flattened communities, moneymen with hippies, and the left with the right. And though it might not yet be obvious, this revolution is already well under way. Cultural anthropologist Gretchen Bakke unveils the many facets of America's energy infrastructure, its most dynamic moments and its most stable ones, and its essential role in personal and national life. The grid, she argues, is an essentially American artifact, one which developed with us: a product of bold expansion, the occasional foolhardy vision, some genius technologies, and constant improvisation. Most of all, her focus is on how Americans are changing the grid right now, sometimes with gumption and big dreams and sometimes with legislation or the brandishing of guns. The Grid tells--entertainingly, perceptively--the story of what has been called "the largest machine in the world": its fascinating history, its problematic present, and its potential role in a brighter, cleaner future.
Download or read book Enhancing the Resilience of the Nation s Electricity System written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-10-25 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Americans' safety, productivity, comfort, and convenience depend on the reliable supply of electric power. The electric power system is a complex "cyber-physical" system composed of a network of millions of components spread out across the continent. These components are owned, operated, and regulated by thousands of different entities. Power system operators work hard to assure safe and reliable service, but large outages occasionally happen. Given the nature of the system, there is simply no way that outages can be completely avoided, no matter how much time and money is devoted to such an effort. The system's reliability and resilience can be improved but never made perfect. Thus, system owners, operators, and regulators must prioritize their investments based on potential benefits. Enhancing the Resilience of the Nation's Electricity System focuses on identifying, developing, and implementing strategies to increase the power system's resilience in the face of events that can cause large-area, long-duration outages: blackouts that extend over multiple service areas and last several days or longer. Resilience is not just about lessening the likelihood that these outages will occur. It is also about limiting the scope and impact of outages when they do occur, restoring power rapidly afterwards, and learning from these experiences to better deal with events in the future.
Download or read book Lights Out written by Jason Makansi and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2007-08-24 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A behind-the-scenes exposure why our electricity system is headed for a state of emergency-and what can be done to head it off Most people don't realize that skyrocketing global energy demand and economic growth severely affect the supply of electricity. Between production (power plants) and delivery is an antiquated, "third-world" transmission grid that is in desperate need of hardening against breakdowns, terrorist attacks, inadequate carrying capacity, and operational obsolescence. And while electricity doesn't hold the headlines or dramatic power of oil, the ability to ensure its uninterrupted supply at a reasonable price is even more essential to global survival and prosperity. Lights Out is today's most detailed, in-depth examination of this largely unreported looming energy crisis. Written by one of the world's top electricity industry experts, this powerful book covers numerous hot button economic and political issues-free markets versus regulation; energy independence versus foreign imports; nuclear power, global warming, and other environmental issues; and much more. Beyond just uncovering and illuminating the problems, however, it proposes a comprehensive road map of technical solutions and regulatory reform from both the production and demand sides of the equation-a framework for rethinking, rebuilding, and enhancing the entire electricity production and delivery infrastructure. Prescriptive and provocative, Lights Out will redefine the simmering debate on how the world can-and must-act now to head off a global catastrophe, one that could eventually wreak even more havoc than the ongoing oil crisis. Jason Makansi is the President of Pearl Street, Inc., a consulting firm; Principal of PS Liquidity Advisors, an advisory service for energy technology companies raising capital; and Executive Director of the Energy Storage Council, a public-policy advocacy organization. A prolific author, respected industry thought leader, and seasoned communicator, Mr. Makansi has been analyzing the technological, business, and regulatory issues in electricity production and delivery for over twenty-five years. He earned a BS in chemical engineering from Columbia University. His earlier books include An Investor’s Guide to the Electricity Economy, also published by John Wiley & Sons, and Managing Steam: An Engineering Guide to Commercial, Industrial, and Utility Systems.
Download or read book Practical Guidance for Defining a Smart Grid Modernization Strategy written by Marcelino Madrigal and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2017-03-22 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Practical Guidance for Defi ning a Smart Grid Modernization Strategy: The Case of Distribution guides stakeholders on how utilities can defi ne their own smart grid vision, identify priorities, and structure investment plans. While most of these strategic aspects apply to any area of the electricity grid, the book focuses on distribution. The guidance includes key building blocks for modernizing the distribution grid and provides examples of grid modernization projects. This revised edition also includes key communication system requirements to support a well-functioning grid. The concept of the smart grid is relevant to all grids. What varies are the magnitude and type of the incremental steps toward modernization for achieving a specifi c smart grid vision. A utility that is at a relatively low level of grid modernization may leapfrog one or more levels of modernization to achieve some of the benefi ts of the highest levels of grid modernization. Smart grids impact electric distribution systems signifi cantly. In developing countries, modernizing the distribution grid promises to benefi t the operation of electric distribution utilities in many and various ways. These benefi ts include improved operational effi ciency (such as reduced losses and lower energy consumption), reduced peak demand, improved service reliability, and ability to accommodate distributed generating resources without adversely impacting overall power quality. Practical Guidance for Defi ning a Smart Grid Modernization Strategy concludes by describing funding and regulatory issues that may need to be taken into account when developing smart grid plans. The World Bank Studies series is available for free download online through the Open Knowledge Repository (https://openknowledge.worldbank.org).
Download or read book America s Energy Future written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-01-15 with total page 736 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For multi-user PDF licensing, please contact customer service. Energy touches our lives in countless ways and its costs are felt when we fill up at the gas pump, pay our home heating bills, and keep businesses both large and small running. There are long-term costs as well: to the environment, as natural resources are depleted and pollution contributes to global climate change, and to national security and independence, as many of the world's current energy sources are increasingly concentrated in geopolitically unstable regions. The country's challenge is to develop an energy portfolio that addresses these concerns while still providing sufficient, affordable energy reserves for the nation. The United States has enormous resources to put behind solutions to this energy challenge; the dilemma is to identify which solutions are the right ones. Before deciding which energy technologies to develop, and on what timeline, we need to understand them better. America's Energy Future analyzes the potential of a wide range of technologies for generation, distribution, and conservation of energy. This book considers technologies to increase energy efficiency, coal-fired power generation, nuclear power, renewable energy, oil and natural gas, and alternative transportation fuels. It offers a detailed assessment of the associated impacts and projected costs of implementing each technology and categorizes them into three time frames for implementation.
Download or read book Shorting the Grid written by MEREDITH. ANGWIN and published by . This book was released on 2020-10-19 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Shorting the Grid" describes how closed meetings, arcane auction rules, and five-minute planning horizons will topple the reliability of our electric grid. Hopeful speeches will not keep the lights on.
Download or read book Economics of Electricity written by Anna Cretì and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-30 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explains the economics of electricity at each step of the supply chain: production, transportation and distribution, and retail.
Download or read book Short Circuiting Policy written by Leah Cardamore Stokes and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-03-18 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1999, Texas passed a landmark clean energy law, beginning a groundswell of new policies that promised to make the US a world leader in renewable energy. As Leah Stokes shows in Short Circuiting Policy, however, that policy did not lead to momentum in Texas, which failed to implement its solar laws or clean up its electricity system. Examining clean energy laws in Texas, Kansas, Arizona, and Ohio over a thirty-year time frame, Stokes argues that organized combat between advocate and opponent interest groups is central to explaining why states are not on track to address the climate crisis. She tells the political history of our energy institutions, explaining how fossil fuel companies and electric utilities have promoted climate denial and delay. Stokes further explains the limits of policy feedback theory, showing the ways that interest groups drive retrenchment through lobbying, public opinion, political parties and the courts. More than a history of renewable energy policy in modern America, Short Circuiting Policy offers a bold new argument about how the policy process works, and why seeming victories can turn into losses when the opposition has enough resources to roll back laws.
Download or read book The Energy Switch written by Peter Kelly-Detwiler and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-06-15 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The energy industry is changing, and it’s far more than just solar panels. Electric vehicles look to overtake gasoline-powered cars within our lifetimes, wind farms are popping up in unlikely places, traders are transforming energy into a commodity, and supercomputers are crunching vast amounts of data in nanoseconds while helping to keep our energy grids secure from hackers. The way humans produce, distribute and consume power will be cleaner, cheaper, and infinitely more complex within the next decade. In The Energy Switch, leading energy industry expert Peter Kelly-Detwiler looks at all aspects of the transformation: how we got here, where we are going, and the implications for all of us in our daily lives. Kelly-Detwiler takes readers to the frontlines of the energy revolution. Meet Steve Collins, an executive from Commercial Development Corporation, the company that blew up two $570-million-dollar concrete cooling towers to create a staging ground for the new $70 billion U.S. offshore wind industry; Rob Threlkeld, a General Motors executive who convinced the auto giant to sign multiple 20-year renewable energy contracts worth hundreds of millions; Kevin McAlpin, a Texas homeowner who buys the power for his home on the electricity spot market – where prices can soar from less than one cent a kilowatthour to $9.00 over the course of a single day; Dr. Kristin Persson, who oversees a supercomputer that can process data at 30 quadrillion calculations per second, in the quest for better renewable energy and battery technologies; and John Davis, a Texas rancher who can keep his land intact, with help from the royalty payments from seven turbines spinning on his range. Energy creation and distribution has driven society’s progress for centuries. Today, people are increasingly aware that it is imperative that humans move towards a cleaner, digitized, and democratized energy economy. The Energy Switch is about that multi-trillion dollar transformation, told from the perspective of those leading us to that bright future.
Download or read book Energy Resources written by Jerry A. McBeath and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2022-08-04 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Energy Resources: Examining the Facts provides an authoritative, comprehensive overview of economic, political, and environmental drivers of America's energy picture, from trends in the production and consumption of fossil fuels and renewables to the state of the national energy grid. Energy Resources: Examining the Facts is part of a series that uses evidence-based documentation to examine the veracity of claims and beliefs about high-profile issues in American culture and politics. Each book in the Contemporary Debates series is intended to puncture rather than perpetuate myths that diminish our understanding of important policies and positions; to provide needed context for misleading statements and claims; and to confirm the factual accuracy of other assertions. This installment in the series provides a comprehensive overview of all energy resources used in the United States, including fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal), nuclear power, hydropower, other major renewables (solar and wind), and even smaller energy sources, such as wood products (biomass), ethanol, plant-based fluids/gases, and geothermal, that have meaningful potential for future growth. The framework of laws and regulations in which energy resources are developed, produced, and overseen is described, as are the ways in which economic development powered by different energy resources is impacting people and ecosystems in the United States and around the world.
