On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced a new set of actions to modernize the nation's electrical grid. This aging grid system is under pressure as an intense, severe weather season continues to ramp up across the United States. Last week, several hundred thousand people across Texas lost power following a fierce wave of destructive storms that spawned several tornadoes, including a strong EF-2 tornado that tracked across a densely populated section of Temple, Texas.
Weather-related power outages are becoming more common as intense storms tax the nation's outdated infrastructure and electrical grid systems. These new power grid initiatives rely heavily on collaboration between the federal government and 21 states nationwide. The plan is to expand and modernize the grid as part of a more significant effort to increase electrical transmission capacity while reducing power outages. If these efforts succeed, more clean energy will be available on the grid, reducing the nation's carbon footprint. Cleaner energy will also lead to a reduction in pollution and have a positive effect on the climate crisis.
The United States Clean Energy Problem
These steps could not come at a better time, as there is more electricity from solar power that can be harnessed and used on the grid than there is capacity for. To adequately address the climate crisis, the nation must increase the capacity to generate energy from cleaner resources, such as wind and solar power. However, the United States needs a more modern system of high-voltage transmission lines to achieve these goals.
Regardless of whether the White House succeeds, the demand for cleaner, more efficient energy sources continues to grow. While the electricity demand has remained relatively stable throughout the years, researchers expect it to spike dramatically due to the rise in data mining centers, artificial intelligence and electric vehicle popularity. Without modernizing the grid, the United States will eventually be unable to keep up with demand, leading to the potential of more frequent rolling blackouts and substantial losses in industry.