Electricity Distribution

The electric grid delivers electricity from regional power plants to local customers. When demand increases or problems occur on the grid, customers risk losing reliability or power. One solution is distributed generation, or the use of electric generators distributed at local sites in place of large regional power plants. Clean energy technologies can be used as distributed generation, benefiting individual customers and the electric grid as a whole.

Backup Power

Temporary failure of the electric grid can happen for a variety of reasons, from natural events to degraded systems and equipment problems. For electric customers like hospitals, banks and government facilities, continuous electric power is essential to daily operations and these temporary failures can have serious impacts.

These electric customers often benefit from backup power, or small generating facilities installed at or inside their buildings that can provide electricity when the grid is not working. This backup power can save significant amounts of money and, in some cases, save lives.

A number of clean energy technologies are particularly well-equipped to be used for backup power. Fuel cells in particular are highly efficient devices that can provide reliable power when the electric grid is not working. Solar and wind technologies can also be installed on site as backup or supplemental power, though they do not provide the same level of reliability as fuel cells without battery backup or other storage capabilities.

Stability of the Electric Grid

In addition to electric grid failure risks, the utilities that keep the grid running continually face challenges in maintaining the grid's capability to deliver reliable electric service to all customers. Demand for electricity can sometimes exceed the grid's capacity, particularly in high-density areas and areas where development is occurring faster than new distribution lines can be built. When demand exceeds the grid's capability, the grid becomes congested, or unable to deliver the amount of electricity needed.

Congestion in New England is most serious in southwest Connecticut, and there are ongoing concerns in the Boston area, southeast Massachusetts, and an area around Burlington, Vermont. Smaller congested areas are also scattered around the region. Massachusetts utilities are required to participate in distribution planning to determine how generation and distribution will meet demand in the long run. In addition to determining where new distribution lines should be built, the utilities also consider more immediate options for combating congestion by encouraging customers to pursue energy efficiency and asking key customers with high demand to cut back their loads on days when the area's demand is at its peak.

Clean distributed generation can also play a significant role in distribution planning. When small generators are installed in congested areas, they provide new sources of electricity that directly serve congested areas and relieve strain on the grid. This approach has been explored in a number of states as well as on a nationwide basis, and is beginning to be explored in Massachusetts.

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