I Listened to Al Gore, and He Missed One Important Point

If you drive straight up, you will exit our atmosphere after just 5 minutes of cruising at normal highway speed.  Al Gore has a way of getting your attention when he speaks, and this was just one of the fascinating tidbits he dropped at the AEE World Conference to illustrate the fragility of our surroundings. 

The conference in Orlando, Florida left me hopeful, but also concerned about some of the points the participants may be overlooking.  For instance, California is pushing hard to establish 50,000 MW of battery storage power.   It’s a noble goal, but it ignores some of the weaknesses in our outdated electricity grid that make us vulnerable to poor power quality.  

If you add 50,000 MW of stored battery energy, the grid’s ability to handle faults is greatly diminished.  This is where power quality sees a significant downward trend that will impact the economy.  How do we filter that energy to make it more reliable and robust? 

One solution is to install active voltage conditioners and voltage stabilizers that can be placed in front of the meter or behind the meter.  They are a wall of protection for your organization and operation that can potentially save you millions. We can also install the voltage regulators at a utility level to protect and insulate an industrial area or an industrial building.

The point being, as we decrease dependence on sources like natural gas and coal, shifting to wind, solar, and battery energy sources, we must be cognizant of the quality of our electricity.

If industry takes its eye off the ball when it comes to power quality, then industry losses could soar into the billions of dollars.

Former Vice President Gore did a quick, hands-up survey of the audience to determine their priorities.  Topping the list, was grid reliability.  

We must keep having honest conversations about power quality, and the inconvenient truths of technologies that are good for the climate, but not necessarily the right fit for our current (somewhat outdated) infrastructure.

So, as Al Gore energizes the movement towards electrification and decarbonization, let’s not forget that it’s not just about reaching for the sky in our goals, but also ensuring our feet are firmly planted in the practicalities of powering them. 

We must remember the limitations and weaknesses in the power grid, or we risk painful economic losses alongside the necessary environmental gains we are all striving to achieve.