Category: Policy

Backfeeding

Backfeeding

Backfeeding

06/08/19

“How can electricity flow in the opposite of the intended direction?”

Electricity is designed to be flown in a single direction from a generator. However, if said generator experiences a fault and needs to shut down, then electricity will flow back and be used for its own local loads. This Backfeeding can be quite dangerous and organizations need to design their equipment so everything works smoothly.

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Water and Electricity Interdependence

Water and Electricity Interdependence

Water and Electricity Interdependence  

06/07/19

“How are water and electricity directly interrelated?”

Water and electricity, two of humanity’s most vital resources, are often thought as being from completely different worlds. However, the reality is that the generation of one resource uses some of the other! To illustrate, water needs to be pumped through mechanical pumps reliant on electricity while power plants use water for their operation. In this way there is Water and Electricity Interdependence. So every time you let the faucet run, you’re not only wasting water but also electricity!

Electricity Markets

Electricity Markets

Electricity Markets

06/06/19

“How can energy be bought and sold?”

Energy is one of the most vital parts of modern infrastructure. And in many countries, deregulation has led to Energy markets, or platforms where electricity can be bought, sold, and distributed. The pricing for electricity markets depend on the current supply, demand, and mix of energy resources.

Logical Interdependence

Logical Interdependence

Logical Interdependence

06/05/19

“How can different infrastructures be interdependent without any direct connection?”

Infrastructures can be interdependent in numerous ways. However, one of the most subtle forms is through cause and effect, in which the consequences of one infrastructure failure will carry over into another one. Take for example the 2018 Northern California Wildfires. When the fallen transmission line caused a fire, the smoke that swept into the Bay Area caused the air pollution levels to skyrocket. This made people rush to the hardware stores to purchase protective masks, emptying stocks within hours. Through Logical Interdependence, the supply of gas masks was contingent on the fire resilience in Northern California.  

The Trade-Offs Between Distributed and Concentrated Energy Generation for Resilience

The Trade-Offs Between Distributed and Concentrated Energy Generation for Resilience

The Trade-Offs Between Distributed and Concentrated Energy Generation for Resilience

06/04/19

“What resilience trade-offs are there between using distributed and concentrated energy generation?”

Both distributed and concentrated energy generation supporters argue that their preferred energy generation method is superior. Distributed supporters say that their preferred method allows for generation to be much closer to consumption loads, undercutting the need for long transmission lines, while concentrated supporters say that their base load profiles allows for the necessary amount of energy to be delivered throughout the day. When selecting new energy methods, these must be taken into consideration during construction. These are The Trade-Offs Between Distributed and Concentrated Energy Generation for Resilience.

Why Situational Awareness of the Grid Is Crucial for Electricity Resilience

Why Situational Awareness of the Grid Is Crucial for Electricity Resilience

Why Situational Awareness of the Grid Is Crucial for Electricity Resiliency

06/03/19

“Why is monitoring the grid so crucial for electricity resilience?”

One of the most fundamental parts of building resilience is preventing cascading outages. If even a single transmission line snaps, then it could overwhelm other ones, eventually resulting in a large-scale power loss. One of the key tools to preventing this is having situational awareness of what is going on in the grid, so one can react fast enough to mishaps. This is Why Situational Awareness of the Grid Is Crucial for Electricity Resiliency.

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How a Downed Transmission Line Can Trigger a Cascading Power Failure

How a Downed Transmission Line Can Trigger a Cascading Power Failure

How a Downed Transmission Line Can Trigger a Cascading Power Failure

06/02/19

“How can a single failed transmission line cause a whole power grid to shutdown?”

The electricity grid is the backbone of modern human infrastructure. However, if a single transmission line becomes faulty and goes down, then power will need to be redistributed throughout the entire system accordingly. If no care is taken, then the extra surge of electricity can overwhelm other transmission lines and cause them to fail, repeating the process until a cascading power failure occurs such as in The Northeast Blackout of 2003. This is How a Downed Transmission Line Can Trigger a Cascading Power Failure.

The Northeast Blackout of 2003

The Northeast Blackout of 2003

The Northeast Blackout of 2003

06/01/19

“How did the worst blackout of the Northeastern United States unfold?”

On August 14th, 2003, a power line in Ohio under the dominion of the utility First Energy’s control struck a tree and faulted, causing power to redistribute throughout the rest of the network. The alarm system used by the company had a bug and did not not alert the authorities. This caused other lines to sag out and fault with trees, creating a cascading power failure by around 4:05 pm Eastern US time. This spread throughout the rest of the Northeastern grid, causing 50 million people in the U.S and Canada to lose power for up to two days. Not only did this result in 11 deaths and approximately 6 billion USD in damage. The Northeast Blackout of 2003 was one of the costliest to date and resulted in the U.S setting much stricter standards for reliability and maintenance of power lines.

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Why Informing Citizens of the Risk of Power Outages Is Important for Making Public Resilience Decisions

Why Informing Citizens of the Risk of Power Outages Is Important for Making Public Resilience Decisions

Why Informing Citizens of the Risk of Power Outages Is Important for Making Public Resilience Decisions

05/31/19

“What is the importance of informing people about the risk of power outages?”

Power outages occur from time to time. And when they do, it could cause great harm to existing infrastructure, both public and private. HVAC systems will shut down, food in fridges will rot, and pipes might freeze over. That being said, there are a large amount of citizens who are not aware of the totality of the risks. If they become informed, then they can make better decisions and help contribute to making better public decisions about infrastructure. This is Why Informing Citizens of the Risk of Power Outages Is Important for Making Public Resilience Decisions.