Our electricity grid is 100 years old. It's time for an update. Photo Credit: Shutterstock.
As we’ve shown before, our electricity grid was designed over 100 years ago. But our technology has evolved since then. Clean, renewable energy from solar panels and wind turbines is available right where we live. But we need a smarter, more modern grid to make the most of it.
Using technology, we can design a smarter grid — a better system for making, delivering, and using energy. This will give us more control over our energy, and save us money in the long run. For instance, a smarter grid could let you set appliances like your washing machine to run when electricity rates are low. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. We also need to update the way utilities make money. We need to base their profits on more than just building new poles and wires or selling us more energy. (You can learn more about the various parts of grid modernization and how it works, here.)
This much-needed makeover will not only give us more control over our energy use and save us money, it will also help us reduce our climate-damaging emissions. By modernizing our electricity grid and using more clean energy, we can help protect New England’s families and businesses from the worst effects of climate change.
