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It was a cool summer in 2003; it wasn't until the middle of August that we got a serious heat wave. By then, all of the air conditioners were pumping full blast and the electrical grid was running at almost full capacity. On August 14, a branch fell on a power line near Cleveland, Ohio. A software bug failed to trigger alarms, and power started surging through other lines, causing a cascading failure that shut down 100 power plants across the Northeastern United States and Canada. In some parts of the affected area, it took almost a week before things were back to normal.
Has the system been improved since then? Do we have additional generating capacity and more transmission lines? No, we still have what Bill Richardson called "a superpower with a third-world electricity grid."
Blame air conditioning. It is the biggest draw on the grid, and as the climate warms, the demand is only going to get higher. Coal is the quickest and easiest solution, but also the dirtiest; burning a ton of coal generates 3.7 tons of carbon dioxide. Coal plants also spit out mercury and acid. Our politicians are promising millions to develop "clean coal", but that is unlikely to kick in before 2030.
Nuclear is no panacea either. While many think that nuclear power is the clean green solution, nuclear plants take a long time to build and there are major supply bottlenecks.
Wind looks promising. But many proposed wind farms are located far away from existing distribution networks. Wind power developers are being hit with up to $1.5 million per mile for high voltage lines. According to Paul Davidson in USA Today, "The transmission-line shortage is threatening to slow wind energy's breakneck growth and could prevent some states from meeting renewable energy mandates."
The existing production, transmission and distribution system is incredibly inefficient, as are most existing houses and businesses; most of the energy put into the power plants is lost. This creates our biggest opportunity, as just a minor increase in efficiency could find all the power we need. Here's how:
Ban incandescent bulbs. Widespread use of compact fluorescents and LED bulbs could reduce electrical consumption by 7 percent.
Make Energy Star the standard. We know how to make energy-efficient appliances; take the inefficient ones off the market.
Put in smart meters everywhere. Charging people more during peak demand makes people change their habits. Why cool a bedroom all afternoon? Why not set the dryer to work at night? People with smart meters make these changes to save money.
Fix the Transmission Grid. New superconducting power lines could save another 10 percent in energy transmission.
Learn More from TreeHugger:
How to Green Your Electricity
Green Basics: Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Lester Brown: Time's Up, Coal
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