TW: One of the areas where Obama is focusing investment dollars is upgrading our electricity grid. Our electricity grid is old and inefficient, I believe something like 75% of electricity is lost during transmission. Given the conflicting incentives, risk and high capital costs associated with grid upgrades it seems an opportunity for the federal government to step in to push the ball forward.
The Republicans can bloviate on waste and deficits etc. This is not one of those things that will garner much publicity but it is a big opportunity and one that Obama should be applauded for grasping.
From Economist:
"...Obama’s stimulus package contains about $4.5 billion in grants for smart-grid investments and regional demonstrations...Obama declared that a smart grid could “save us money, protect our power sources from blackout or attack, and deliver clean, alternative forms of energy to every corner of our nation”—grand goals indeed.
America’s power system has changed remarkably little over the past century, with centralised utilities delivering electricity to passive consumers. A smart grid would use digital technology to collect, communicate and react to data, making the system more efficient and reliable. For example, sensors would help utilities locate problems and fix them quickly—power cuts now cost businesses more than $100 billion each year. A nimble grid would integrate electricity from both predictable sources, such as coal, and fickle ones, such as the sun and wind.
Meters, to monitor both use and prices, would give consumers more control over their electricity bill. Advocates predict that some consumption would move to cheaper, off-peak hours, easing congestion and reducing the need for new infrastructure. Consumers would save money and emissions would fall. Installing smart meters in 25% of American homes, GE estimates, would be equivalent to removing 1.7m cars from the roads. Plug-in hybrids, meanwhile, could charge at night, when demand is low, and even pump power back to the grid while parked during the day.
...Advocates have many tasks, not least of which is convincing consumers that a smart grid will lower their costs, not raise them. Changing regulations, meanwhile, is even thornier. For utilities, reducing consumption means reducing revenues, hardly an appealing prospect. The stimulus encourages rewarding utilities for efficiency, but it is local commissions that must change the rules, and they may be wary of what is still seen as a risky investment..."
http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13337902
No comments:
Post a Comment