Modernizing America's Electricity Infrastructure

by Mason Willrich

A comprehensive, coherent strategy for modernizing America's electricity infrastructure while ensuring affordable, reliable, secure, and environmentally sustainable electricity services. America's aging electricity infrastructure is deteriorating rapidly even as the need for highly reliable electric service—driven by the explosion of digital technology—continues to rise. Largely missing from national discussions, however, is a coherent, comprehensive national strategy for modernizing this critical infrastructure. Energy expert Mason Willrich presents just such a strategy in this book, connecting the dots across electric utilities, independent suppliers, government bureaucracies, political jurisdictions, and academic disciplines. He explains the need for a coherent approach, offers a framework for analyzing policy options, and proposes a step-by-step strategy for modernizing electrical infrastructure, end-to-end, in a way that ensures the delivery of affordable, reliable, secure, and environmentally sustainable electricity services. Willrich argues that an effective electrical infrastructure modernization strategy must incorporate flexibility, adaptability, and the capacity to coordinate policies at local, state, and federal levels. He reviews the history of America's electrification, from Edison's demonstration of the incandescent light bulb through the recent expansion of wind, solar, and energy efficiency as carbon-free energy resources. He describes the current ownership and operation of the electric industry and the complicated web of federal and state policies that govern it.

320 pages, Hardcover

Published October 13, 2017

Reviews

[Ch. Ali Ghafoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is underscoreing the important need for a complete overhaul to address the America's aging grid. It is also giving an overall understanding of the America grid and it's background. The existing infrastructure struggles to meet current requirements. It emphasized importance of more resilient to withstand climate impacts, cyberattacks, and natural disasters, while also integrating renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. This modernization is essential in achieving national goals of energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and economic competitiveness.

Willrich advocating substantial investments in smart grid technologies and energy storage systems to enhance system reliability and flexibility. These technologies will enable better management of energy flows and empower consumers through real-time data. Importance of regional cooperation and federal leadership to streamline regulatory processes and foster innovation is also highlighted.

This transition requires robust public-private partnerships to finance the required developments that includes AMI, battery storage, clean power, distribution system overhauling, etc. Regulatory and policy reforms are also needed to incentivize innovation and encourage investment while protecting the interests of vulnerable populations. By addressing these challenges, America can build a modern, sustainable, and resilient electricity infrastructure that supports long-term economic growth and environmental sustainability.

[Abram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every industry in America should have an introductory text that hits exactly this level of detail. After reading this, I do not feel that I have a full grasp of all Mr Willrich's understanding of the electricity generation industry, but I do feel that the sketch of the key details is fairly well established in my mind. The book is unavoidably acronym heavy, but after persevering to the end I was able to read through them with almost no mental catch.

Mr Willrich has a no-fluff approach to policy proposals that is highly commendable. He is the first person I have ever read that has a legitimate, fact-based case against the large-scale construction of large generation capacity nuclear power plants. Thankful for the opportunity to reassess an opinion I have held for a long time.

Given the chance to read through this book twice more, I feel confident that nearly any reader would then have the wherewithal to conduct research, invest in, or propose policy for the electric grid. Mr Willrich has accomplished something truly excellent here, and should be commended.

[Leah McGovern · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was dry as a kind bar. Wouldn't recommend to anyone unless you are REALLY (and I'm talking really bc there are def better books on this) interested in the topic and are familiar with the terms. There is a crapton of jargon. Can't say I followed it all.

I like that he proposed real solutions for grid infrastructure modernization, but it's all moot since those solutions relied on having a real government, and a leader who is competent.

[Shawn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the grid and current challenges. Interestingly, this was written prior to the significant increase in demand we're seeing so the challenges are only getting bigger.