Making Your Energy Work for You

Alexander Graham Bell (the telephone) and Thomas Edison (electricity) were two of the greatest groundbreaking pioneers in history. Imagine if the two were alive today to witness the evolution of their thinking. While the chances are pretty good that Bell would have no idea what a smartphone was, Edison’s electrical transmission lines are, conversely, still a mainstay today. Acknowledging the foundation laid by these two scientists is crucial in understanding how we are on the cusp of an energy revolution – especially one that will dramatically change the landscape of how energy is created, transmitted, and stored.

First, let’s quickly review the creation and distribution of electricity today:

• Generation is the process of converting energy into electricity. Power plants generate electricity from a variety of energy sources: fossil fuels, nuclear reactions, and renewables.
• Transmission refers to transporting electricity (typically over long distances) from the power plants where it is generated to the neighborhoods and cities where it will be used.
• Distribution is the process of transferring electricity over a relatively short distance from transmission cables into a home or business.

The electric grid is composed of the network of transmission and distribution infrastructure that powers a region. Electricity is generated using a variety of different sources. Once it flows onto the grid, however, electricity from different sources cannot be differentiated. Think of electricity on the grid-like water in a pool; if several people pour water into a pool, the water mixes together and the water from different sources cannot be distinguished.