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

Abstract

ABSTRACT EPRI's Electricity Technology Roadmap describes a pathway to the future which begins with one of the most fundamental of electric functions: 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. However, the power delivery function is changing and growing more complex 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 enormous benefits which an advanced power delivery system can bring to society will never take effect. Simply stated, today's electricity infrastructure is inadequate to meet rising consumer needs and expectations. Indeed, a sharp decline in critical infrastructure investment over the last decade has already left portions of the electric power system vulnerable to poor power quality service interruptions and market dislocations. Substantial system upgrades are thus needed just to bring service back to the level of reliability and quality already required and expected by consumers, and to allow markets to function efficiently so that consumers can realize the promised benefits of industry restructuring. To assure that the science and technology are available to address the infrastructure needs, The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Electricity Innovation Institute (E2I) have initiated an ambitious program. The Consortium for Electric Infrastructure to Support a Digital Society (CEIDS) will build public/private partnerships to meet the energy needs of tomorrow's society. Restructuring and the rise of the digital economy have set electricity price, quality, and reliability on a collision course. The main driving force behind efforts to increase competition in both wholesale and retail power markets was the need to make inexpensive electricity more widely available—in particular, to reduce regional price inequities. Already the effects of deregulation are being seen in the wholesale market, with both prices and price differentials declining rapidly. The effect on retail markets will come more slowly, but over the next twenty years, the average real price of electricity in the U.S. is expected to fall buy 10 percent for residential customers, 17 percent for commercial customers, and 14 percent for industrial customers. At the same time, however, industry restructuring has not yet provided adequate financial incentives for utilities to make the investments necessary to maintain—much less improve—power delivery quality and reliability. Meeting the energy requirements of society will require applying a combination of advanced technologies—from generating devices (e.g., conventional power plants, fuel cells, microturbines) to interface devices to end-use equipment and circuit boards. Simply “gold plating” the present delivery system would not be a feasible way to provide the level of security, quality, reliability, and availability required. Neither will the ultimate customers themselves find traditional utility solutions satisfactory or optimal in supplying the ever-increasing reliability and quality of electric power they demand. In addition, new technology is needed if society is to leverage the ever-expanding opportunities of communications and electric utilities' natural connectivity to consumers to revolutionize both the role of a rapidly changing industry and the way consumers may be connected to electricity markets of the future. CEIDS can enable such a transformation and steer the direction for building future infrastructure. CEIDS can create and meet new levels of social expectations, business savvy, and technical excellence by attracting players from the electric utility industry, manufacturers, and end users as well as federal and state agencies. In order to achieve this, CEIDS will be guided by the following key principles: Vision To develop the science and technology that will ensure an adequate supply of high quality, reliable electricity to meet the energy needs of the digital society. Mission CEIDS provides the science and technology that will power a digital economy and integrate energy users and markets through a unique collaboration of public, private, and governmental stakeholders.