Why are there so many power outage in the US?

 

In February, a winter storm caused power outages across the state, and millions of Texans plunged into darkness. Congressman Crenshaw warned: “This raises serious concerns about the reliability of power grids that rely on renewable energy in extreme weather.” Although Mr. Crenshaw was wrong to single out renewable energy because of natural gas pipelines, nuclear reactors and Transmission lines also froze during the storm, but his concerns about the US grid are reasonable. In the United States, there are more and more power outages, and the weather cannot be blamed solely on the weather.

Data from the U.S. Department of Energy shows that the U.S. suffered 383 “electricity disturbance incidents” in 2020, which is much higher than the 150 in 2017. When power companies and grid operators meet certain conditions, such as severe power losses or cyber attacks, they must report such incidents to the Department of Energy. The reasons include man-made damage, fuel supply, and earthquakes. Extreme weather can also cause power outages, because heating or air conditioning pushes up the demand for electricity to a level that the grid cannot afford. However, according to data from the US Department of Energy, power outages are more frequent in the spring and autumn, indicating that the surge in power outages in the United States last year was not solely due to weather.

The old infrastructure in the United States is another part of the reason. According to the US Department of Energy, 70% of large power transformers and transmission lines in the United States have at least 25 years of operating history; 60% of circuit breakers have 30 years or more of operating history. Inadequate monitoring and insufficient control equipment are also a reason. Grid operators must use modern sensors and software to monitor and quickly respond to potential interference. Red tape bureaucracy will also hinder the implementation of the project, the US grid construction project sometimes requires the approval of several state regulatory agencies and the federal government. There is also the power distribution system, which is the most expensive part of the power system and the most difficult part to upgrade. Approximately 90% of power outages in the United States occur when users are connected to the grid.