The Grid

Off-topic intro. The total eclipse was a total bust in upstate NY. It was cloudy the entire afternoon, and, though it did get very dark for 3 1/2 minutes, we saw none of the amazing sights that many others did. I’m very envious of those in the path of total eclipse who had clear skies this past Monday. Sorry, I just had to vent.

In this post, I am going to discuss a book I recently listened to on Audible (and subsequently bought a paper copy). I will provide a modest summary of the book and some of my reactions to it. Hopefully, I will be able to hold your interest.

The book’s title is The Grid by Gretchen Bakke, Ph.D. As you may have guessed, it pertains to our electrical grid. Please continue reading this post; this isn’t going to be a science lecture (and neither is the book). The only hard science discussed (and not at great length) is first, the difference between electric circuits running in series (the very first ones, which electricity from a single source passed through a single wire and were limited in their coverage) vs. those running in parallel (electricity originating from a single source passing through many wires at once, which allowed for significant expansion of the grid). The other physics covered is the difference between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC), the difference being that DC can only traverse a relatively short distance before petering out, whereas AC can travel much greater distances through the use of transformers. They are explained in a way in which most lay people can understand. Now I say this as a person with an advanced degree in science. Not a simple major, but I’m no engineer. Nor is the author (her Ph.D. is in cultural anthropology).

The book contains the following topics (which I will tough on as briefly as I can): (i) history of grids and expansion of large grids throughout the US (ii) a few laws which changed how grids operated and were regulated (iii) the grid’s vulnerability, including a discussion of a few major blackouts. Interestingly, many are not weather-related (iv) the benefits and issues of modern methods of electricity generation (nuclear, wind, solar) (v) the beginnings of movement away from a large, interconnected grid and what the future might look like (note that the book was published in 2016 and though there have certainly been technological advancements since them, the book is quite relevant, IMO).

Now if you think about it, the way in which we are able to safely and reliably use electricity is pretty amazing. These days, we take the use of electricity totally for granted. However, electricity has become available almost everyone only in the last 75 years or so. Early grids (Edison deployed the very first one) were tiny and were employed mostly for manufacturing, street lighting, and public transport systems. With the passage of time, people/companies who had the money and know-how developed increasingly larger power plants and grids to provide electricity to home and apartment dwellers (though regulated by state and the federal government, there are very few municipally owned suppliers of electricity). More recently, with the increase in green technology, people can now generate their own power, which is most often fed into the existing grid but gradually is being used by individuals, along with generators and battery power, to become independent from the grid.

As you can imagine, operation of an electricity grid for an entire nation is not trivial. Power is coming from multiple sources. Ensuring that sufficient electricity is available to keep everything smoothly from 6 AM to 10 PM (when the need is great) and then dealing with the dropoff overnight (you see power coming in need to be balanced with power going out) is not easy to manage. The grid, like other facets of infrastructure, is fragile, with old wires, wood poles, and outdated computer systems. And furthermore, the grid is susceptible to the weather, of course. In case you were wondering, the two most frequent causes of power outages are tree limbs and (get ready for it) squirrels chewing through wires.

So, what was my motive for tackling this topic? Maybe I am hoping to educate/inform someone, maybe even enough for that person to want to read the book. And as you can see, I enjoyed the book enough to write multiple paragraphs about it. Having said all of this, reading this book made me more concerned, worried, and disappointed than I was before I started the book. Why?

My suspicion is that this book has not been widely read (my internet search didn’t unearth sales of the book). And I suspect that if the book were offered to the masses for free, the vast majority would turn and run (too nerdy). I know this book isn’t for everyone, but understand that without a properly functioning grid, we would have no lights, no internet, no A/C, and most businesses would shut down. Imagine that world for a couple of weeks, especially in the summer. It’s one of those things that no one cares about until disaster hits.

Given how important the grid is to our lifestyle if not existence, why is the grid never talked about by the populace, the media, or the politicians (to be honest, these days, I suspect very few of them could carry out an intelligent conversation about it)? I mean, an infrastructure bill was passed in 2022, and improving the grid was essentially not mentioned. Of the $1.55 trillion to be spent in the approved legislation, only about $25 billion (or about 1.6% of the total, this according to The Council of State Governments website) was allocated to improving/fortifying the grid. If this book in any way approximates the true state of the grid, that figure should have been more like $100 billion. While roads and bridges are critical for our society, they aren’t the only components of infrastructure.

This year, we are electing a President, dozens of Senators, and the entire House of Representatives. Yet it is quite unlikely that any questions related to the quality, dependability, safety, and security of the grid will be asked of any of the candidates. Part of this is due to the fact that an issue like this one does not elicit sexy (for the media) sound bites. But it’s also due the voters’ lack of knowledge and lack of desire to due and research or critical thinking (I could say this about other similar issues). I want our leaders to stop the culture wars and focus on the less glamorous but more important issues that ensure the safety, comfort, security, and prosperity of our nation and for voters to hold these individuals accountable. Sorry if this came off as a rant or was too preachy; I hope some of you got something out of this post.

#Audible

#The Grid

#ELizabeth Bakke, Ph.D.

#2022 Infrastructure Bill

#Council of State Governments