Smart Electric Grid of the Future is in Development
The nation¿s current electric grid system will not work in the future with solar and wind farms providing substantial but intermittent power over long distances.
By 2050, it will take between 15 and 20 Terawatts (TW) of electric power to supply the North American economy. A little under 7 TW is currently used, with most of that consumed in the United States. The "Smart Electric Grid of the Future" must be able to efficiently and securely deliver this two- to three-fold-increase in power to all corners of the continent, in addition to being invulnerable to security breaches, attacks, natural disasters, and mechanical failures. The country can ill afford more blackouts like August 14, 2003.