The nation’s electrical grid is outdated and bordering on being inadequate.

There is an outcry to improve and strengthen the grid.

Unfortunately, part of the hue and cry to enlarge the grid, at an immense cost, is for the sole purpose of allowing the development of wind energy in remote areas of the country.

Improvements to the grid should be viewed as three separate issues.

1. First, and extremely important for national security, is increasing the carrying capacity of the grid.

A new system of 765 KV transmission lines needs to be built to increase the carrying capacity of the grid and to provide strong interconnections between various regions of the country.

2. Second, new computer control technologies need to be developed and applied to managing the grid and to connect the grid with users, including homeowners. This includes intelligently tying the distribution system and power generation facilities to the grid, so as to provide smart use of electricity and smart use of the nation’s capital investment in power generation facilities.

These computer systems will create what is referred to as the “smart grid.” The smart grid will allow for better management of the grid with fewer system losses, help prevent outages and permit load side management.

Load side management permits pricing electricity based on demand. When demand is high the price of electricity to homeowners and other users will be high. When demand is low the price of electricity will also be low. Users of electricity will try to consume electricity when it is the least expensive. It’s not inconceivable that homeowners will load their washing machine or drier in the afternoon and schedule them to turn on at 3 am when the price of electricity is lowest.

This requires installing smart meters (essentially computers) at the user’s home or place of business.

This concept is critical for the successful widespread use of Plug-in electric vehicles that will be recharged when plugged into an electrical outlet, presumably in the owner’s garage.

It is the third step that needs explanation.

3. Proponents of wind energy will say that new transmission lines should be built to connect wind turbines in remote areas of the country to the grid. Virtually all this new capacity will be devoted to carrying electricity produced by wind turbines so that it can be transported to where it will be used.

These transmission lines, dedicated to carrying electricity generated by wind turbines, should be included as part of the cost of building wind turbines, not swept under the rug as part of building a smart grid.

Currently, nearly every call for creating a smart grid includes the cost of building the transmission lines that will be dedicated to carrying electricity from remotely constructed wind turbines.

Cost estimates for building these extra transmission lines currently range between $16 billion and $30 billion.

Constructing a smart grid should be a national priority and not held hostage to building transmission lines for wind turbines.

Shouldn’t the installation of wind turbines be based on their total cost in competition with other forms of power generation?

TSAugust

February 15, 2009