Alan Drew, Author of The American Lineman, Retired SVP of Research & Development at NLC
The electric power grid is fundamental to modern living. So much of society runs on electricity that, without it, things would fail and break down. From storing food, to communicating with family, to performing business and financial transactions, to providing medical services, nearly every facet of modern life depends on electricity. Losing the power grid would prove a catastrophic interruption—and our current lifestyle would cease to exist.
Alarmingly, power outages in the United States are climbing as extreme weather gets worse due to the climate crisis. Additionally, the demand for electricity is climbing and the country’s energy infrastructure is getting older and more vulnerable.
State of the Grid
The Department of Energy estimates that grid power outages cost U.S. businesses approximately $150 billion in direct losses annually. A recent University of California Berkeley lab study assessed the social and economic costs of longer and more frequent power outages. These costs arise from impacts such as school closings, food spoilage, supply chain disruptions and deleterious health outcomes. The following facts underscore the need for improvements:
- The U.S. has more power outages than any other industrialized nation.
- The average annual number of weather-related power outages increased by roughly 78% during 2011–2021, compared to 2000–2010.
- Both frequency and duration of grid outages are at the highest level since 2013.
- Forty states are experiencing longer grid outages than ever. California, Louisiana, Maine, and Florida are at the forefront with greater than a 50% increase in power outage duration.
- The average age of key power grid components is 40 years old, with more than a quarter of the grid 50 years old or older.
There is no question that extreme weather events and wildfires have been major contributors to this downward trend in reliability. It has been a rude awakening for the power industry to realize that the current grid isn’t aging well and was not built to withstand the current climate we’re experiencing. Considerable work must be done to make it more resilient to today’s climate and for the future.
There is no question that extreme weather events and fires have been major contributors to this downward trend in reliability.
Improving the Reliability and Resiliency of the Grid
The terms reliability and resilience are closely related and frequently used interchangeably. Reliability is a measure of the ability of a power system to supply power to customers in a continuous manner. Resiliency is the ability of a power system to withstand severe weather conditions resulting in less damage and a more rapid return to normal. The U.S. power grid needs considerable improvement in both factors. To this end, power companies and grid operators will typically focus on one or more of the following elements in their improvement plans.
Hardening the System
Hardening the system refers to taking deliberate measures to minimize the impacts of severe weather events, such as installing stronger structures, fire-resistant poles, and shorter spans, undergrounding existing overhead lines, and installing stronger conductors.
As an example, for nearly two decades, Florida Power & Light invested significantly in building a stronger, smarter, and more storm-resilient grid. As a result of this effort, their transmission system showed its resilience during 2022’s Hurricane Ian by not having one structure go down. Another hardening measure that involved undergrounded lines also paid dividends during Ian as initial reports indicate that the underground sections performed five times better than existing lines in Southwest Florida.
It is estimated that 200,000 miles of transmission lines will need to be replaced over the next 10 years.
Replacing Outdated Lines and Equipment
Thousands of miles of lines and equipment will need to be replaced soon. These replacements offer many opportunities to harden the system, convert to a higher voltage, install state-of-the-art equipment, and make other advancements. It is estimated that 200,000 miles of transmission lines will need to be replaced over the next 10 years.
Improvements to the Grid
Thousands of miles of new transmission lines will need to be constructed to connect renewable energy sources to the grid. New substations and switching stations will also need to be constructed to facilitate the delivery of renewable energy.
The numerous additional improvements around control and automation include the need for more smart grid technology such as sensors to provide real-time conditions of lines and equipment, smart meters, smart switches, and smart reclosers. Electric Vehicle (EV) charging capacity will drive demand for upgrades on the distribution systems. Florida Power & Light recently installed thousands of smart grid devices throughout its energy grid. They reported that this helped the company restore service to customers before it was safe to send crews into the field and helped to avoid more than 400,000 customer outages during Hurricane Ian.
Preparing for the Future
Having enough highly trained and qualified lineworkers is critical to operating, maintaining, and expanding the power grid. Northwest Lineman College plays a key role in optimizing the lineworker workforce of the future. For nearly 30 years, NLC has and will continue to provide relevant, practical education and training vital to the well-being of the industry and our country.
