The Future of Generation, Transmission, and Distribution of Electricity

The electric power grid is poised for a paradigm shift in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. The advent of information and communication systems, sustainable and green sources of power generation, and smart grid sensors, control, and automation will revolutionize the next-generation power grid. However, re-evaluating the twenty-first-century power grid is necessary rather than implementing the same practices established almost 150 years ago. The purpose of the chapter is to show that with the proper choice of energy source, the future generation, transmission, and distribution of electrical power should be based on direct current (DC) power. First, the chapter explains key fundamentals of the sustainable energy sources with minimal environmental impact—air, water, and land. Then, the chapter delves into the need for storage and local power networks comparing existing alternating current (AC) practices as opposed to direct current (DC) techniques. The transmission and distribution challenges of the AC grid and methods to alleviate them by virtue of DC power networks are proposed in the chapter. By implementing the proposed end-to-end DC power design, the future power grids can solve several challenges of the twenty-first century.