Reply To: Alexander Franklin Mayer's Physics

[nakile]

Before I make anymore assumptions, what exactly is our current grid capable of? I know that every summer the thing is being pushed to its limit, at least that’s the story. Is this really the case or is the problem being overblown?

If not, is it anything that can be fixed with just new equipment? I know that quite a few transformers are undersized (I see 10-15kva units on 200a services all the time) and I’m going to guess that since those are undersized that substations most likely are too, but what about the conductors themselves? Were they sized with the foresight to accept more load if newer equipment was attached or does the whole grid really just need to be torn down and rebuilt if any major upgrade is needed?

My main worry is that the electric car is shaping up the be clean energy’s first killer app. If the current grid really is on the brink of failing then its simply going to be a disaster for electric car proliferation. Especially with fast/super charging. I can see those who oppose alternative energy will use this as yet another beating point to hold it back. “Your gas lines to your home never failed.” or “When was the last time you couldn’t fill up your old gas car?” These folks are relentless.

Except they’ll partially have a good point, which is the problem. I feel like in the alternative energy world all I tend to see is “developing new energy sources” and too little “how to get it where it needs to go.” I don’t know if that means everything is fine on the distribution/transmission side, or if that will be the easy part to fix/build when the time comes, or if nobody is thinking of that part and the switchover to an all electric world will end up being a disaster because no one did.