The Electric Grid is Evolving
Surveying a period that saw the development of the computer, the invention of the automobile, and the creation of the airplane, these engineers voted the establishment of the electrical grid as the crowning achievement of the century. Which tells you something about the incredible accomplishment behind that flick of a switch so many of us take for granted.
But as the way we generate electricity is evolving in the face of a changing climate, so is the grid that moves this electricity from Point A to Point B. For one, the technology is getting smarter, enabling us to be more efficient and reduce demand for power. For another, it’s getting more flexible, able to cope with climate disruptions, support many different energy sources from solar to wind to geothermal, and take this energy from regions rich with renewable potential to cities and other densely-populated areas with high demand.
What does this mean on a practical level? It means that plans are underway to explore a new kind of energy network linking North African nations with extraordinary solar potential with the countries of the EU. It means Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed a new grid linking the sun-drenched state of Rajasthan with major cities. It means nations like the US, Brazil, and China are installing millions of smart meters to cut waste and boost efficiency.
And that’s just the start. In the fourth hour of 24 Hours of Reality: 24 Reasons for Hope, we lay out how the twenty-first century grid is taking shape and what it means for you.
Vice President Gore outlines what’s happening to the grid worldwide and why it matters.
Actress Maggie Grace returns for a town hall-style discussion about the new face of the climate movement and advances in technology that give her hope.
And for every company embracing the opportunity of renewables and stepping forward, there’s another fiercely holding onto the past. Filmmaker Vanessa Black takes a look one of the biggest carbon polluters in the US, Peabody Energy, and the coal industry’s rearguard efforts to stop the progress of clean energy anyway it can.
SEE ALL 24 REASONS FOR HOPE BY CLICKING HERE.
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