The Power Delivery System of the Future: A Vital Part of U.S. Energy Policy

Abstract

EPRI’s Electricity Technology Roadmap describes a pathway to the
future which begins with one of the most fundamental of electric func-
tions: getting electricity from the point of generation to the point of use.
Power delivery has been part of the utility industry for so long that it is
hard to imagine that this process has not already been optimized. How-
ever, the power delivery function is changing and growing more com-
plex with the exciting requirements of the digital economy, the onset of
competitive power markets, the implementation of modern and self-
generation, and the saturation of existing transmission and distribution
capacity.
A framework for tomorrow’s electric future in U.S. energy policy
that incorporates the four vulnerabilities already present in today’s
power system will continue to degrade that power system. The four
vulnerabilities are: The security of power delivery and market systems;
the quality of power supplied; the reliability of power supplied; and the
availability of affordable energy services. Resolving these vulnerabilities
will yield benefits in the trillions of dollars annually for an investment
of as little as $100 billion. However, numerous science and technology
challenges remain before these investments can be made. Only actions
taken today to increase the level of research and development will allow
the needed developments to evolve. Without careful attention, the enor-
mous benefits which an advanced power delivery system can bring to
society will never take effect.