Unreliability Of U.S. Electric Grid Increasingly On Display

As energy becomes an increasing focus, problems with the U.S. power grid are coming under even more scrutiny. The grid is becoming less and less reliable at the same time that consumers are becoming more dependent on electricity to power phones, computers, and electric vehicles.

The U.S. power grid has become less dependable over the past 20 years, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal, which found there were 180 “major disruptions” of power in 2020, which is up from under 24 in 2000.

Recent events have brought increased attention about reliability of the power grid to American consumers. The Texas freeze left 4.5 million people without power last winter and the wildfires in California forced PG&E to turn off power to nearly 50,000 residents.

Some 70% of transmission and distribution lines are far into the second half of their lifespans of 50 years, according to a report last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Most of these power lines were built above ground, unlike Europe where they’re underground, which makes them more susceptible to weather problems, including storms.