Electical Contractor

One of renewable energy sources’ biggest challenges is the intermittency of power generation. Finding a way to store power for later use helps make renewables more practical for tying into the grid where demand does not always coincide with the wind or the rising sun.

Most utility reserve margins are adequate to meet peak demands. That is the assessment of the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) as the nation has hit the summer months in which heat can strain supplies.

While it’s good news for the air we breathe, the accelerating pace at which coal-fired power plants are being retired has a flip side.

U.S. electric utilities are installing huge numbers of advanced electric meters across the country. These devices promise to enable new demand-response and time-of-use pricing schedules and improve overall distribution system performance.

In the long-running battle for the nation’s energy soul between green power and fossil fuels, victories are taken in measure. Despite their emergent success in recent years, renewables still have a long way to go to become the predominant power source.

Business still may be slow for many electrical contractors, with much of the construction industry remaining in the doldrums, but electrical pros specializing in major transmission work are experiencing a boom.

In February, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved licenses to build two new nuclear reactors on the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant site in Burke County, Ga. They are the first new licenses the NRC has approved in more than three decades.

It could be argued that the potential for success of a particular innovation can be measured by its effect on the existing technology operating around it. If that’s the case, then smart meters are here to stay.

Looking to cut back on your energy use? Try watering the grass a day or two less each week. And you say water efficiency is becoming more important to you? Try turning off a few lights and setting back the air conditioning.