Power Grids
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Peak loads: can batteries displace gas peakers?
Peak loads in power grids are caused by heatwaves (in the US) and cold snaps (in Europe), which last 2-14 days. This 16-page report finds that very large batteries would be needed to ride through these episodes, costing 2-20x more than gas peakers. But the outlook differs interestingly between the US vs Europe.
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Peak power demand by region (and case studies)
This data-file tracks the timing and magnitude of peak power demand, across different grids in the North Hemisphere, with case studies. This matters for grid-planning, gas peakers and batteries. In the US, peak demand is typically driven by high AC loads in summer heatwaves. In Europe’s milder climate, only c10% of homes have AC, and…
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Power grids: opportunities in the energy transition?
Power grids move electricity from the point of generation to the point of use, while aiming to maximize the power quality, minimize costs and minimize losses. Broadly defined, global power grids and power electronics investment must step up 5x in the energy transition, from a $750bn pa market to over $3.5trn pa. But this theme…
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Power grid bottlenecks: flattening the curve?
Will persistent grid bottlenecks de-rail electricity growth? This 18-page report explores using batteries and smart energy systems to reduce the need for new power lines. This option can be surprisingly economical, when back-tested on real-world load profiles. Hence we are upgrading our battery outlook.
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US electricity demand: by sector, by use, over time?
US electricity sales reached 4,000 TWH in 2024, rising +2.3% YoY, and bringing the trailing ten-year CAGR to 0.5% pa. The current breakdown is 38% residential, 36% commercial, 26% industrial. All three are now growing. To help understand load growth, this data-file is a breakdown of US electricity demand by sector, by use and over…
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Load profiles in power grids?
Load profiles depict how the power running through a particular cross-section of the grid varies over time, ranging from individual homes, through giant GVA-scale transmission lines. Load profile data are unfortunately not widely available, however, we have aggregated a dozen case studies from technical papers, in this data-file, to help decision-makers with grid-modeling.
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Energy and national security: network risk?
National security risks are rising in developed world energy systems, as geopolitics grow more adversarial, and cyber-attacks are at new highs. This 16-page report finds that electrification is on balance making energy systems more vulnerable, then outlines mitigation measures, and opportunities?
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Water intensity of power generation?
The water intensity of US power generation averages 21 liters per kWh (5,600 gallons per MWH), but 95% of this total comes from evaporation at hydro reservoirs. Excluding hydro power, good estimates are that nuclear power uses 2.1 liters/kWh of water, coal power uses 2 liters/kWh and CCGTs use 1.2 liters/kWh, or less in some…
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Residential energy prices: reasons for optimism?
Residential energy prices tend to run 4x higher than underlying wholesale energy prices. This is a very wide margin, as by contrast, typical commoditized products in supermarkets are usually only marked up by about 2x, compared to their wholesale prices. Today’s data-file compares retail prices vs wholesale prices across a dozen different categories. A remarkable…
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eHighways: trucking by wire?
eHighways electrify heavy trucks via overhead catenary wires. They have been de-risked by half-a-dozen real-world pilots. High-utilization routes can support 10% IRRs on both road infrastructure and hybrid trucks. This 15-page report finds benefits in logistics networks and for integrating renewables?
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