Modernizing the Grid: Challenges and Opportunities for a Sustainable Future

In addition to their age, particularly in large metropolitan areas, electric power systems throughout the industrialized world face challenges brought on by new technology trends, environmental concerns, evolving weather patterns, a multiplicity of consumer needs, and regulatory requirements. New technology trends include the development of more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective renewable generation and distributed energy resources (DERs), energy storage technologies, and electric vehicles (EVs), along with monitoring, protection, automation, and control devices and communications that offer significant opportunities for realizing a sustainable energy future. The medium- to long-term vision for the electrical grid is to transition away from carbon-based fuels toward increased penetration of renewable DERs and use of energy storage and electric transportation.