Electrical grids, the interconnected sys-tems that transmit and distribute power, are at the heart of how we use energy. Yet despite their importance, in many places around the world these grids are falling apart. In the United States, while electric-ity demand increased by about 25 percent between 1990 and 1999, construction of transmission infrastructure decreased by 30 percent. Since then, annual investment in transmission has increased again, but much of the grid remains antiquated and overloaded. Aging grids mean an unreliable electricity supply. They are also an obstacle to the use of renewable power sources such as wind and solar.
展开▼
