Electricity Is Becoming Unbelievably Expensive as the US Power Grid Decays Into Ruin
By: Joe Wilkins (Futurism)
Installing more wind turbines and solar panels is not the answer. The problem extends beyond generation capacity.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Shocking.
The US electrical grid is facing a stress test like never before. Thanks to a perfect storm of AI power consumption, climate crisis, crony capitalism, and a president bent on uprooting perfectly good energy infrastructure, the country's already-struggling power system is rapidly crumbling as costs balloon into the stratosphere.
A recent analysis by Bloomberg underscores just how dire it's getting. In the country's largest continuous grid — a 13-state monstrosity managed by PJM Interconnection LLC — the media company notes that power costs have set record highs for two years in a row.
Spanning from Indiana to eastern New Jersey, PJM's footprint includes some 65 million residents, as well as a constellation of tech industry mega-sites known as Data Center Alley. While the cost of electricity is expected to rise drastically with the growth of AI over the next few years, Bloomberg notes that, in PJM states like Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, nearly 25 percent of residents already can't afford their utility bills.
While PJM is a titan among US power suppliers, it's not alone. Across the country, Bloomberg notes that electricity prices rose at over twice the rate of overall inflation over the past year, putting the national price at a near-record high.
As this is happening, the actual condition of the grid is decaying rapidly. A recent report by Bank of America found that nearly a third of transmission infrastructure, like high voltage transmission lines or substations, is already near or beyond its useful life span. Meanwhile, a whopping 46 percent of US distribution infrastructure, including utility poles and power line transformers, was found to be in a similar state.
That makes it all the more baffling that US president Donald Trump is waging an all-out-offensive on perfectly good green energy infrastructure, the kind that experts broadly agree maximizes grid flexibility, reduces energy costs, and enables economic growth.
Earlier this week, Trump's white house stopped construction on a massive wind farm in Rhode Island that was said to be 80 percent complete, as the president asserted that "wind doesn't work." That project was estimated to provide enough juice to power some 350,000 homes across the east coast, and was just one of many imperiled by the returning administration.
That said, while Trump certainly isn't making things any better, the current crisis is decades in the making.
A major part of the problem is that the United States boasts the only macro grid in the world without a central plan. Unlike the singular grids managed by China or the EU, the US power system is a labyrinthian bureaucracy made-up of three separate grids, each a jumbled mess of various planning regions, territorial authorities, and public-private utility companies.
To get out of this mess will require a comprehensive overhaul of the current setup — one that the current commander is chief is highly unlikely to authorize.
Be a good human. Grossly derogatory comments, blatantly inflammatory comments, excessive trolling, mean-spirited taunting and insults, scamming, spamming, and off topic comments may be removed in compliance with the site's Terms of Service and the Code of Conduct. The moderators have the final word.
Tags
Who is online
248 visitors
What's the value of a wind farm without a distribution grid? While the article makes a gratuitous swipe at Trump, Trump has not caused this problem during his 8 months in office. All the other green-washing Presidents failed to address the problem of distribution, too.
The problem is how government has been abused to mislead the public into spending a lot of public money and getting little bang for the buck. Government is only an appropriate solution if the public money is spent on appropriate priorities. Spending public money stupidly is, well, stupid.
In addition to the ever present political factors ( which seem to continually amuse and delight so many users on social media) there are two advances in technology that require a strong increase in our electricity needs:
1. Bitcoin mining
and
2. AI
And 3. all electric economy
Planning for an all electric economy over the last two decades wasn't adequate either. Bitcoin has been around since 2009 and the expansion of mining should not have caught us unawares. Large data centers have been around since 2000 and have grown rapidly since then; again no one should have been caught unawares. AI is very recent and has grown at warp speed which could not not have been so easily forecast.
With the possible exception of AI, the growth in demand for electricity should have been expected with moderate certainty. There have been a number of Federal programs to speed deployment of alternative generation. But upgrading and expanding the distribution grid hasn't received as much political attention or government support.
In addition to the ever present political factors ( which seem to continually amuse and delight so many users on social media) there are two advances in technology that require a strong increase in our electricity needs:
1. Bitcoin mining
and
2. AI
prolly shouldnt say anything , but just got and paid my Aug power bill. $89.....location ,location ,location .
Keep in mind that it can't hurt.
I'll never understand opposition to solar and wind. It's as if it's almost entirely political, which is so friggin' dumb.
There's no fuel cost for crying out loud. That's an engineer's dream. Almost magically free energy.
I think you're right.
They should be continued-- even expanded.
And also using what nature provides-- water power.
However because of advances in technology we're going to need exponentially more power. So IMO we're going to have to add nuclear to the mix.
Agree about nuclear, but it makes more sense to add more coal and natural gas power generation since these fuels are still abundant and reliable and relatively cheap. Then upgrade the existing physical grid.
Interesting, related story. Much more research and development needed on hydrogen power.
Drone powered by liquid hydrogen takes to the skies
I also look at these issues from the perspective of a stock market trader. In recent months I've noticed "the smart money" has been buying more nuclear energy stocks-- even Uranium miners.
That doesn't mean other forms of energy will suddenly become obsolete. In fact nuclear energy is a long term investment-- return on that money may not happen for years.
Remember "Three Mile Island" (a nuclear disaster).
Well recent research re: Three Mile Island revealed that people are currently working on putting one of those reactors back online!
And Microsoft is investing in the project!
(Microsoft is generally considered a very well run company, a lot of very smart people work there).
Remember "Three Mile Island" (a nuclear disaster).
Well recent research re: Three Mile Island revealed that people are currently working on putting one of those reactors back online!
Microsoft is Reopening the Three Mile Island Nuclear Site
Note to Buzz: Sorry, I know you can't access YouTube, Basically what the video does is make some arguments that at the time the dangers posed were exaggerated.
And of course the technology since then has improved.
But my point here is that yes-- a lot of existing infrastructure is old, outdated and needs to be improved anyway.
But there's also another important factor-- both Bitcoin mining as well as AI take tremendous amounts of energy-- something nuclear can provide.
So, who is stopping you installing as many solar panels on your property as you want? Home Owners Associations? City, county, and state regulators? Your own pocketbook?
No one is stopping solar and wind energy. The Federal government has not outlawed these technologies. The Federal government has only stopped subsidizing the installation of these technologies. There's been a shift in priorities, the priority now is to manufacture the technology in the US rather than import the technology. The United States has never been so dependent upon foreign sources for our energy needs. Energy independence using alternative technologies has become a national security priority.
Wind turbines and solar panels have been commercially deployed for over 50 years. This is not new technology. If the technology will pay for itself then why is public money needed to import and install the technology? If you want the imported technology, you have to pay for the technology. Get your subsidies from the foreign manufacturers. The Federal government is not using public money to pay for your foreign preference and financial support of foreign governments.
As an incentive to create faster adoption of the technology. Many people might not otherwise adopt these technologies otherwise.
Unfortunately, there will be a cost with wind. Those towers need lubrication to run properly. As do the transformers.
Here's the thing about transformers, they don't have any moving parts. Well except Bumblebee of course. They are sealed so it's not like they have to be "topped up". And the fact is that transformers are used for all types of A/C power distribution, regardless of the source. I asked Meta about that
You're thinking of the insulating fluid used in some transformers. It's typically a type of oil, such as mineral oil or silicone oil, that helps with cooling and electrical insulation. The oil circulates through the transformer by convection, carrying heat away from the windings and core. Some transformers might use alternative insulating fluids, but PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) were indeed used in the past. However, due to environmental and health concerns, PCBs are no longer used in new transformers and are being phased out in many countries.
Let's go a little deeper. My experience in steam power generation and of power generation in general is based on my years serving in the engine room of a nuclear sub. Where I operated, among other things, the SSTG's,(ship's service turbine generators). Yeah, they use oil as lubricant. And they're powered by steam which has a price. Now the FUEL, that is the energy source that drives the reaction that results in electricity is free for wind turbines. Some of the architecture and machinery needed to harness that source of free power is NOT free and some of it requires maintenance.This is true of ALL forms of distributed power generation. What is not true of ALL forms is that the energy that drives the machine that makes the electricity is free. That is true with wind turbines though.
For some time now, Trump has had a yuge opposition to wind power. I'm not sure why-- but its obviously quite political.
Some people are saying its because wind compete with oil-- and that Trump gets YUGE donations from oil lobbies.
I don't know if that is true or not-- but IMO his opposition to wind power is pretty extreme and may have political (rather than practical) motivations.
Direct drive systems in wind turbines eliminate the gearbox altogether, connecting the rotor directly to a low-speed generator. This design reduces complexity, increases reliability, and minimizes maintenance needs. Some manufacturers, like Siemens Gamesa and Vestas, have developed direct drive or hybrid systems that use permanent magnets or other advanced technologies to achieve efficient energy production. These designs can offer advantages in terms of reduced downtime and lower operating costs.
Aren't those the types of magnets that require rare earths to make?
I was literally making seed after seed about the deterioration of not just the power grid but dozens of dams across the country that are 40 or more years past their designed use on Newsvine, years and years ago. Bridges that are crumbling away, sewage systems and water systems that are overloaded. The entirety of public infrastructure is in danger.
And all systems are subject to cyberattack. I will never forget the American northeast and Canada east massive blackout in the early 2000s caused by a simple blowout in a remote place. A crumbling system lays itself open to sabotage.