4l. Pros and Cons of the Connected Electrical Grid
Pros of a Connected Electrical Grid
A connected electrical grid provides reliable electricity to consumers. With transmission lines connected across the country, if a power plant goes offline, another power plant can increase production to make up for the loss. Or if a cold snap in the upper Midwest increases electrical demand, power plants connected to the same grid can deliver more power to the region.
Cons of a Connected Electrical Grid
There are also downsides to the connected electrical grid. For example, in 2003, a high-voltage power line in Ohio brushed against some overgrown trees and shut down. The alarm system failed to alert the power company. Over the course of 1.5 hours, more powerlines sagged into trees and switched off. During that time, 50 million people in eight Northeastern states and parts of Canada lost power. The outage lasted for two days.
