CEO Clean energy sector Carrie Kotler was one Millions of URI Winter StormThat struck Texas with a historical cold wave in 2021.
A Temperature He was inside his house slightly higher than scratch and family golden fish frozen in the aquarium. Kottler survived the storm, but more than 200 Texas died during the rare cold, which left millions without energy For days.
Now Kottler, Pattern Energy, is about to create the first major radio line that links Texas to the eastern American states – which would help provide electricity to the country during that storm.
“When something happens like an Euri storm, you can bring energy from the southeast, and there is a lot of energy that can be exported to Texas.” CNN.
This line of transmission is just an example of what the American authorities, experts and experts say that the country needs a hurry: high -voltage electrical lines are able to transfer large amounts of energy from one place to another.
This ability to transmit electricity between areas is of increasing importance as the American energy network is reached through extremist climatic events with an increase in frequency. The network was affected several times with strong storms this year. In addition, Hurricane Helen and Milton left nearly 11 million consumers without energy in the southeast of the country, and thousands are still in the dark.
“You need to be your energy network greater than the weather,” said Alison Clements. “When the severe cold fronts cross the country or be a parked heat dome in an area, and there is more energy demand than expected, it is necessary to bring electricity from places that do not face this climate.”
Turn straw into wide tubes
With the increasingly developed weather countries, authorities and experts are required of contestants and legislators significantly expanding the power network to maintain energy supplies.
But the climate is not the only reason for this expansion. The demand for electricity grows rapidly, mainly depends on databases and artificial intelligence, with high energy consumption. In addition, there is a huge amount of clean energy – such as solar energy and wind – pending its connection to the network, which overcomes all the energy that works today.
In short, the American energy network is outdated and full of spots, according to Clements.
“We have a state of state transportation more than 60, 70,” she said. “It seems that we used the VHS network in a Hulu economy.”
In practice, the American Energy Network consists of three main networks: interconnection between East and West, as well as the Independent Texas Network. Inside them, there is a mosaic of about ten smaller regional systems. The physical lines linking these networks are fragile and ancient, according to the experts who heard before CNN.
“Of these three large networks, we mainly have straw connecting the Olympic complexes,” said Rob Gramlich, CEO of Grid Strategies. “If we can convert this straw into wide tubes … everyone can get electricity.”
The future network will need to be two to three times larger than the current areas – and to connect better areas, and appreciate the officials of the Ministry of Energy. It should also be more resistant to the extremist climate.
“Most of the low energy is caused by distribution problems and material damage to smaller wires, such as branches that touch cables, vehicle collisions, strong winds, and animal contact,” said Ariel Horwitz, deputy director of the update at the Ministry of Energy.
In the case of forest fires, hurricanes, hurricanes, and severe storms, he said that the energy industry indicates a “great interest” in strengthening its electrical infrastructure. On Friday, the Biden government announced an investment of $ 4.2 billion (about $ 24 billion in Ranjit) in flexibility projects from the energy network. Energy Minister Jennifer Granholem confirmed that there is a flood of proposals, which will not be considered many of them.
The network reinforcement may include replacing wooden columns with non -correctional structures, concrete structures, burial of the cable or its height to avoid tree touch. It may also include making electrical lines more responsive and adaptable so that traders can redirect supply during storms.
Clemens warns that even with a larger network, it will not be possible to resolve all challenges that climate change surrounds. In the case of Hurricane Helen, “many transformers were immersed, and the entire sub -stations were underwater,” he said.
Part of federal financing aims to raise these sub -stations in coastal areas, above the flood level.
But it adds in the states like California and Texas – whose networks are facing increasingly sharp heat waves in the summer – “There is no example when network investments did not make more flexible in the extremist climate.”
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