06/10/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/10/2021 10:12
As we reimagine and rebuild America to prepare for a net-zero future, a modernized electricity grid is a critical component to increasing resiliency in our most essential services and infrastructure. Strengthening the electric grid will lessen disruptions caused by malicious actors, reduce power outages in homes across America, and help lower energy bills for all Americans by moving cheaper, cleaner electricity to where it is needed most.
The U.S. electric grid is made up of more than just power plants. It includes transmission lines designed to transport energy over long distances, and distribution systems that carry electricity to the individual customer. It is a complex network of asset owners, manufacturers, service providers, and government officials at the federal, state, and local levels, all working together to provide reliable, resilient, and secure electricity.
Today's electric grid is aging and is being pushed to do more than it was originally designed to do. A 21st centurygrid must be flexible and smarter as our energy mix continues to change, with a focus on shifting toward sustainable renewable energy sources like solar and wind. While adding clean energy capacity, we must also secure the power system against hackers, foreign actors, and natural disasters, that are becoming more frequent and extreme because of climate change.
The Department of Energy is working toward a 100% carbon-free power sector by 2035 in support of President Biden's climate goals. One way to achieve this is to modernize the grid. That means supporting research and development efforts that can optimize power delivery and enhance resilience, implement new interactive capabilities to allow the system to more easily respond to change, and new measurements, data analytics, and models that leverage the latest scientific advancements in mathematics and computation to increase efficiency and reliability.
In addition to modernizing the grid, investments in energy infrastructure - like those proposed in the American Jobs Plan - will increase our clean energy capacity and create millions of jobs. Investments in grid resiliency include technologies that will strengthen our transmission and distribution systems such as:
The grid of the future must also support electric vehicles and charging stations, newly connected communities, and increased integration of carbon-free resources like solar and wind. A secure and resilient power grid is more than just keeping the lights on, it's vital to preserving our nation's security, economic prosperity, and the livelihood of all Americans. It means money saved for families who have more efficient homes capable of withstanding hotter summers and colder winters. It meansnew businesses with good paying jobs created by entrepreneurs who can help every pocket of the country meet sustainability needs. And it means safeguarding the nation for future generations.