Researchers in Rochester are comparing options to improve America’s aging electrical grid. These plans make room for increased demand and new energy sources.
The grid that delivers electricity across the country hasn’t been updated in decades.
Eric Hittinger, assistant professor of public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology, says the current system’s not up to dealing with modern technologies or demands for power.
"What we really need is a new grid that can handle all of these new technologies and smarter devices."
Hittinger is using a 300 thousand dollar National Science Foundation grant to generate computer models to design a future electrical grid that will take account of fluctuations in demand and increased use of renewable energy sources.
"It's not just about minimizing costs, but it's sort of about maximizing value to society in the long term."