In the early 1900’s the United States contained 4,000 individual operating, electric utilities. As the population increased with the influx of immigrants, the demand gradually grew. After WWII, the electric authorities realized they needed a new solution. They decided to connect the 4,000 individual operating utilities together. This interconnection served as a solid solution. The interconnection solved more than one problem. By connecting the systems all together it greatly reduced the overall cost. The expansion and interconnection also supplied enough energy to meet the rising demand. The interconnection increased the energy levels so high, peak times were no longer a concern.
The growth of these connection lead to the formation of an overall grid. It wasn’t long before the US had developed three major interconnected systems, supplying the spread of electricity though out the nation. Today the top three are the Eastern, Western and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, better known as the ERCOT. Both the Eastern and Western interconnections also connect to the Canadian interconnection as well. All together these interconnections make up the vast electrical grid we now have today. Each of these regional interconnections are managed by the balancing authorities, to ensure the equal supply and safety, of the transfer of electricity.
The electric industry has been an ever-evolving industry. The addition of science and technology have made several upgrades to the original grid, making it now the smart grid. Just as technology has touched all other areas of life, it has also made the energy industry more advanced as well. The addition of the smart grid allows the industry to do many things it was missing before. Energy companies are now able to quickly identify energy loss and correct problems.
The evolution of the energy industry has led us to where we are today as consumers. As of 2002 energy was deregulated, providing consumers with more options. Today, thanks to many retail energy marketers we have many options of which to choose from. There are many that offer Cheap Electricity with No Deposit. However, with so many energy providers to choose from this can be a daunting task. Understanding the use and distribution of energy is just as important, as knowing which company is, not only best but also which company in best suited for the needs of the consumer. Many marketers offer a lower rate on weekends, because this is considered peaks times. Some offer a lower rate once a certain number of kWh is reached. This opens the door to the variety of plans offered as well. There are now three types of plans, variable-rate, fixed-rate, or indexed. These vary as per the rate charged to each consumer.
You can guarantee that the evolution of the industry that is power and energy, will not stop here. The many changes discussed in this article have happened over the past century. What will the future of power and energy bring next and how will the new evolution of advancements affect future consumers?
