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Has the time come for the decentralized power grid?

In some circles, the centralized power grid most nations have is on par with the dinosaur: big, clumsy and a thing of the past.

 

Whether it be the excessive costs of building and maintaining a centralized power grid, the occurrence of too many power blackouts from centralized power, or the risk of hackers and other bad actors impacting its power reliability, the need for a decentralized power grid on a national scale is critical to human civilization.

 

A decentralized power grid can include solar, geothermal, wind, or any number of innovative renewable technologies. They can include microgrids or even what I like to call the home grid. Power is generated locally and more cost effectively.

 

Here's the question: Has the time come for the decentralized power grid?

Anonymous
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  • The system is a collection of power producers each willing to buy and sell electricity like any other commodity.  There are safeguards between major suppliers that protect one producer from another, allowing them to sell their additional capacity (loss due long haul transmission is part of the consideration, i.e., New York will not purchase from North Dakota).  So maybe the problem you are describing is how well managed are each or our producers and how willing are they to risk a blackout by overselling/providing electricity to another provider.

     

    The solution best solution seems to allow a greater number of producers, an individual with a collection of solar panels would be able to sell their excess to their regional producer to help offset the cost of implementation/maintenance.

     

    Note: there are opportunities for one regional utility to buy from second utility and then selling the excess capacity gained to a third utility.

  • in reply to mfetting

    Looking at the recent events in Oklahoma City, where a strong storm has disrupted power disruption across the city, that has spanned multiple days.  The disruption appears to have impacted multiple areas of their power grid, resulting in no quick and easy repair to bring residence, hospitals, police departments, etc. back online. 

  • in reply to mfetting

      So if the distributed system better or worse to fix?

    Clem

  • in reply to clem57

    I believe we need to address the problem incrementally. 

     

    First, require utilities to purchase power from decentralized producers (i.e. homeowner with wind, solar, hydro production), which would offset the cost of implementation/maintenance.

    Second, reduce the difficulty for utilities to implement/upgrade power plants (some utilities are forced to buy power over long haul transmission lines due to their inability to meet local demand).

    Third, establish penalties for utility companies that fail to address outages in an effect/timely manner (monetary credit to customers impacted, instance and time-based)

    Four, continue to push the industry to produce products that require less power and encourage consumers to purchase those products.

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  • in reply to clem57

    I believe we need to address the problem incrementally. 

     

    First, require utilities to purchase power from decentralized producers (i.e. homeowner with wind, solar, hydro production), which would offset the cost of implementation/maintenance.

    Second, reduce the difficulty for utilities to implement/upgrade power plants (some utilities are forced to buy power over long haul transmission lines due to their inability to meet local demand).

    Third, establish penalties for utility companies that fail to address outages in an effect/timely manner (monetary credit to customers impacted, instance and time-based)

    Four, continue to push the industry to produce products that require less power and encourage consumers to purchase those products.

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