NPR Highlights Needs of Aging National Power Grid

In a first-of-its-kind series, National Public Radio recently took a closer look at the problems plaguing our national power grid while examining the costs, the politics, and other challenges of upgrading it. Topics of NPR's POWER HUNGRY online articles and radio broadcasts included the age and lack of facility of our current grid system, the challenge of making renewable energy more reliable, using smart meters to save energy, jobs created from grid upgrades, and more.

The U.S. power grid is often equated to a highway system, one that has been seriously neglected and is now being pushed to its limits with the demands of our growing and changing energy needs. As we see the rise in demand for renewable energy sources to combat the environmental ramifications of fossil fuels, the grid will continue to be proven antiquated and in need of reinvention.

The U.S. electric grid is a complex network of independently owned and operated power plants and transmission lines. Aging infrastructure, combined with a rise in domestic electricity consumption, has forced experts to critically examine the status and health of the nation's electrical systems. ~ NPR

An exciting and helpful feature on the NPR website is their interactive map of the electric grid. This map gives an overview of transmission structures as they are, sources of power by state, power plant locations by type, current solar capacity across the U.S., proposed wind power transmission, and more. Check out this and other educational pieces at NPR.

Sidenote: We love interactive maps! Renewable Choice uses interactive maps to highlight our projects, and though not nearly as robust as that of NPR's, it gives a good overview of where we're partnering with wind farms in the U.S. and where we've helped green building projects achieve LEED status with green power.


PERSONALLY SPEAKING
Most of use don't know enough about how electricity is produced and transmitted in this country. I applaud NPR for taking a proactive look at these topics to help us all better understand our sources of energy, improvements needed, and players involved. ~ Heather

Heather Philipp is Director of Media and Communications for Renewable Choice