Hour Two: Getting Away from the Grid

Over the past few months, the power distribution grid has been stressed on several days as demand for electricity surged. Some towns experienced brownouts as power suppliers dropped the voltage available to the system, while electric power was temporarily shut down to some New York City buildings as a preventative measure. Now, moving into the fall, demand for electricity is falling off - but high oil and gas prices are leaving the idea of energy efficiency high in the public consciousness.

Downtown Portland Oregon, during the 1973 energy crisis. (EPA, David Falconer)

Some energy advocates say that a possible answer to the stressed on the grid will involve "distributed power generation" - having many small power generators spaced around the country, using devices like fuel cells or gas turbines. Such smaller generation facilities might be attached to smaller, regional power grids, allowing the supply and demand of power to be more efficiently managed and regulated. Also, with generators situated closer to electrical demand, less electricity would be lost through long transmission lines, easing the need for electricity still more.

Yet other energy advocates say that such plans are a cop-out, and that only true efficiency, combined with very local alternative sources of power such as wind turbines or solar cells, will provide the combination of reliability, quality of service, and environmental friendliness that is needed in power generation.

On this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at the future of power generation and transmission. Is getting away from the grid the answer? And how practical is getting off the grid for a home power user? Call in with your comments and questions at 1-800-989-8255.

Listen to this program in RealAudio!

Guests:

Robert Lasseter
Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University Of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, Wisconsin

Richard Perez
Editor-in-chief and Publisher
Home Power Magazine
Ashland, Oregon

Robert Kripowicz
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Fossil Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC

Books/Articles Discussed:

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Related Links:
DOE’s distributed power program
Overview of future coal and electricity programs
Overview of distributed power programs
EPRI: Overview of distributions systems. Includes text on microturbines and fuel cells.
IEEE
How Stuff Works: Power Distribution Grid
Edison Electric Institute
Sandia National Laboratories - Electric grid reliability
EDF Power Calculator - find out where your power comes from
American Wind Energy Association 
EREN - Solar Energy
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network
Home Power magazine: Home Page
Solstice: Sustainable Energy and Development Online
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
ENERGY STAR

Produced By: Tom Clarke
Web Producer: Charles Bergquist