THE US ELECTRIC GRIDJeff McMahon and Andy WilsonEGEE 101HApril 15, 2010

HISTORY OF ELECTRICITY 1882 - Thomas Edison

designed a DC power plant in New York City – 1 mile range

• 1895 – Westinghouse opens Niagara Falls AC power plant -200 mile range

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Edison2.jpg

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:N.Tesla.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:George_Westinghouse.jpg

DEVELOPMENT OF THE GRID 1933 – Congress established the Tennessee

Valley Authority 1935 Roosevelt creates the Rural

Electrification Administration 1953 – American Electric Power

Company builds a 345kV line connecting 7 states

1967 – 765 kV electric line developed

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=110997398

POWER PLANTS

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=110997398

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=110997398

CURRENT STATE OF ELECTRIC GRID Predominantly

powered by fossil fuels

Existing infrastructure over 50 years old D+ from ASCE

300,000 miles of transmission lines

Produced initially to guarantee lowest possible cost

DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRICITY Electricity is

transmitted in various voltages

Stepped up from power plant for high voltage transmission

Stepped down several times until final use in home or business

Source: http://www.howstuffworks.com/power.htm

ELECTRIC LOSSES High voltage can travel farther with less loss

Joule’s Law: Ohm’s Law:

Increased voltage decreases current which reduces loss by

LOAD BALANCING Plants must match electricity production to

demand in real-time Many studies on forecasting electricity

demand Currently a one way system to study demand

Sunday - 5:30pm

SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY Two-way power communication

Some cities using wireless mesh networks of meters and devices

V2G: Vehicle to Grid, could allow consumer to power the grid using excess power from cars

Distributed generation Consumer solar, wind production

GRID ENERGY STORAGE Pumped Water Electric Cars Flywheels Batteries Thermal

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grid_storage_energy_flow.png

AUSTIN CASE STUDY

Source: http://www.austinenergy.com/About%20Us/Company%20Profile/smartGrid/index.htm

AMERICA’S NEED FOR ELECTRICITY Commodity

We want tons of it for as cheap as possible Ecological Resource

How can we move away from fossil fuels? Social Necessity

Communication and basic comfort Strategic Material

Sensitive data now stored electronically

HOW DOES THE GRID IMPACT US? 99.97% reliable

However, outages cost $150 billion ($500 per person)

Since 2000, only 668 miles of new interstate transmission lines

Since 1982: peak demand outgrows transmission by 25% each year

Little R&D done to make grid more efficient $3.8 billion pledge from Obama Administration

falls well short of estimated $100 billion necessary

SUPPLY-SIDE SOCIAL ASPECTS Energy as strategic material

Banking, intelligence, national defense run on electricity

Need to make grid more reliable and secure Russian and Chinese spies attempt to hack grid Blackouts increasingly likely as demand outgrows

capacity for transmission Bottlenecks in transmission paths block flow of

energy during peak demand

SUPPLY-SIDE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS Electricity generation accounts for 40% of

CO2 emissions (compare to 20% from transportation) 2.8 billion tons in 2008

Coal still primary fuel Cheap, domestic resource Also releases SO2 and Nox , contributing to acid

rain and smog formation Current Distribution and Transmission losses

are approximately 6.5% of total electricity generated

SMART GRID ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS 5% increase in efficiency of grid would

eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions from an equivalent of 22 million vehicles, or 131 million tons CO2 GE Grid Efficiency

Ability to incorporate renewable energy directly in to the grid would decrease reliance on fossil fuels GE Alternative Energy

More informed power generation decisions decrease net amount of fuel being burned

ASPECTS OF A “SMARTER GRID” Smart meters

communicate two ways Monitors when

electricity is used Allows for flexible

pricing to give incentive for off-peak energy use

10% savings Smaller and more

diversified generation

Source: US DOE “The Smart Grid: An Introduction”

MULTIPLE FACETS OF SMART GRID

Source: US DOE “The Smart Grid: An Introduction”

THE SMART GRID AND SOCIETY Funding for education projects

Sacramento State University Colorado University Ohio State University

Training creates thousands of new jobs Turn off lights, set thermostat…there’s an

app for that! Right Here at PSU

Research Partnership with Lockheed Martin Students educating themselves

DEMAND-SIDE IMPLICATIONS IBM study says our age group (18-24) willing to

pay for services that increase energy efficiency Personal steps

The Energy Detective and Google The Energy Detective Google Power Meter

Plug-In HEVs more feasible with Smart Grid Existing power plants can generate electricity for 73%

of light vehicles if plugged in at night (cuts 52% foreign oil reliance)

CONCLUSION Existing infrastructure not designed for

today’s usage or technology Possibility of Smart Grid in near future

Strong support from our generation Currently underfunded Improve efficiency, security, and reliability

Electricity literally runs our nation Need to keep up with demand while minimizing

environmental impact Electricity promises to account for larger share of

US Energy in the coming decades

REFERENCES http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/fact-sheet/e

nergy http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/smart_grid/

ideas/index.html?re=spf http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?

page=electricity_in_the_united_states#tab1 http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/energy/2010/0

4/07/a-smart-electrical-grid-could-secure-the-energy-supply--.html

US Dept. of Energy “The Smart Grid: An Introduction”

http://live.psu.edu/story/37953 http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epat3p9

.html http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/ask/electricity_faqs.asp#ele

ctric_rates2 http://www.caiso.com/ http://

www.austinenergy.com/About%20Us/Company%20Profile/smartGrid/index.htm

http://www.smartgrid.gov/about/smart_grid_history