How Safe is Ohio’s Power Grid?
The power grid is where we get all of our electricity and is an incredibly important part of the way our society functions today. But just how safe is Ohio’s power grid, and how can it be improved? Given regular accidents and disturbances of electricity access, as well as outdated technology and the changing energy industry, the stability of current power grids has come into question.
Reliability
According to an article on Cincinnati.com, physical and cyber attacks with the intent of causing interruptions or disturbances related to the nation’s power grid occur once every four days. These interruptions in service can cause the grid to operate less efficiently during these periods, or they can even cause power outages. In fact, since 2011, more than 350 such incidents have been reported to the US Department of Energy—6 of them in Ohio.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has supported the idea of implementing smart grid technology to address these vulnerabilities, though smart grid technology also comes with its own set of vulnerabilities that must be taken seriously.
Outdated Technology
On top of that, our power grid could seriously use a large-scale makeover. In Ohio and the rest of the developed world, there are several problems with current power grids, including but not limited to:
- Aging technology: the majority of the power grid utilizes older technology that is losing pace with other technologies’ energy efficiency.
- Outdated engineering and layout: old power grid layouts and engineering techniques are also less efficient than they could be. These older systems function but fail to fully address all of the changing energy needs of our current world.
- Cultural dichotomy: the power grid was designed to be controlled by one monolithic, vertically integrated industry. However, this is problematic in the current age where deregulation is common and energy consumers have more than one energy choice.
What can we do about it?
There are many options for improving the safety and efficiency of our nation’s power grid. One option is the integration of smart grid technology, mentioned above as a plan PUCO has endorsed in the past. Widespread implementation of smart grid technology, and ultimately the creation of an entire smart energy grid, could be a great improvement to our current power grid. A smart grid would use digital technology to increase the energy efficiency of the power grid as a whole, as well as providing the opportunity for independent energy providers (basically anyone who generates electricity) to contribute energy to the wider system.
Additionally, renewable energy production can easily occur in a smart grid system. Naturally, renewable energy is great for the environment, but it can also save you money on your energy bill and even support the local economy. One example of an option that is available today is renewable energy credits (RECs). RECs allow you to choose where your electricity comes from, which means you can choose to directly support the renewable energy industry.
You can read more about RECs here.
