The Cost of Modernizing the U.S. Power Grid: A Worthwhile Investment

The increasing reliance on wind and solar power in the U.S. is posing new challenges for the electric grid. The complexity of the grid, which operates as a single electrical circuit, is rapidly growing due to the integration of renewable energy sources. This presents engineering challenges and potential risks of blackouts. There is a need for more research focused on the complexities of the evolving grid to prevent large-scale blackouts that could have significant economic consequences. However, funding and talent are being diverted towards expanding the grid and edge-of-the-grid technologies, reducing the focus on core grid research. Additionally, the protection of grid information since 9/11 hinders reproducibility and replicability of results. Synthetic models and data could be a partial solution, but further research is needed.