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Electrical grid

For other uses, see Grid (disambiguation).
"Power grid" redirects here. For the board game, see Power Grid.
Diagram of an electrical grid (generation system in red, transmission system in blue, distribution system in green)

An electrical grid (or electricity network) is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids consist of power stations, electrical substations to step voltage up or down, electric power transmission to carry power over long distances, and finally electric power distribution to customers. In that last step, voltage is stepped down again to the required service voltage. Power stations are typically built close to energy sources and far from densely populated areas. Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents. From small to large there are microgrids, wide area synchronous grids, and super grids. The combined transmission and distribution network is part of electricity delivery, known as the power grid.

Grids are nearly always synchronous, meaning all distribution areas operate with three phase alternating current (AC) frequencies synchronized (so that voltage swings occur at almost the same time). This allows transmission of AC power throughout the area, connecting the electricity generators with consumers. Grids can enable more efficient electricity markets.

Although electrical grids are widespread, as of 2016, 1.4 billion people worldwide were not connected to an electricity grid.[1] As electrification increases, the number of people with access to grid electricity is growing. About 840 million people (mostly in Africa), which is ca. 11% of the World's population, had no access to grid electricity in 2017, down from 1.2 billion in 2010.[2]

Electrical grids can be prone to malicious intrusion or attack; thus, there is a need for electric grid security. Also as electric grids modernize and introduce computer technology, cyber threats start to become a security risk.[3] Particular concerns relate to the more complex computer systems needed to manage grids.[4]

  1. ^ Overland, Indra (1 April 2016). "Energy: The missing link in globalization". Energy Research & Social Science. 14: 122–130. Bibcode:2016ERSS...14..122O. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2016.01.009. hdl:11250/2442076. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. [...] if all countries in the world were to make do with their own resources, there would be even more energy poverty in the world than there is now. Currently, 1.4 billion people are not connected to an electricity grid [...]
  2. ^ Odarno, Lily (2019-08-14). "Closing Sub-Saharan Africa's Electricity Access Gap: Why Cities Must Be Part of the Solution". World Resources Institute. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  3. ^ Douris, Constance. "As Cyber Threats To The Electric Grid Rise, Utilities And Regulators Seek Solutions". Forbes. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  4. ^ Overland, Indra (1 March 2019). "The geopolitics of renewable energy: Debunking four emerging myths". Energy Research & Social Science. 49: 36–40. Bibcode:2019ERSS...49...36O. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2018.10.018. hdl:11250/2579292. ISSN 2214-6296.

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