The minimum amount of electricity that a utility must provide to meet the consistent, ongoing needs of its customers. Historically, this steady demand was met by large power plants (like coal or nuclear) that ran continuously. Today, with more renewable energy, this minimum demand can be met by a flexible mix of various power sources, rather than relying solely on specific “baseload plants”.
A technology that stores electrical energy in rechargeable batteries for later use. Batteries help stabilize the grid, manage energy demand, and increase the use of renewable energy.
Any energy resource that provides energy directly to a home or business without passing through a utility company’s meter. Examples include rooftop solar and microgrids.
The process of creating electricity.
Heat derived from the Earth’s interior, which can be harnessed for electricity generation. It’s a renewable resource, as the Earth’s internal heat is continuously replenished.
The electrical grid is a vast, interconnected network comprising power plants, transmission lines, substations, and distribution lines. Its purpose is to generate, transmit, and deliver electricity from producers to consumers across a wide geographic area.
A variety of technologies that improve the capacity, efficiency, and reliability of existing power grids. They are often lower cost and faster to deploy than major grid infrastructure upgrades like building new transmission lines. These technologies optimize the flow of electricity across existing infrastructure.
Refers to the ability of an inverter to synchronize with frequency and voltage on the grid. These are more common than grid forming and refer to how this technology takes its cues from the grid, not the other way around.
Refers to the ability of an inverter to actively control frequency and voltage on the grid, helping to ensure grid stability. They can provide ancillary services, such as inertia, voltage regulation, and frequency response, essential for maintaining grid stability.
Refers to the many solutions that help the grid withstand major events, such as extreme weather, natural disasters, or cyber attacks, without disruption.
Fuel cell that carries energy generated from another source. It can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity with water as the only byproduct, or it can be burned for heat. Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of sources–renewable energy such as solar or wind, or gas plants, nuclear, and other energy sources–which dictate whether it can be considered “clean” or not.
(see: Interconnection Queue)
A network of distributed energy resources—like rooftop solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, and smart water heaters—that work together to balance energy supply and demand on a large scale. They are usually run by local utility companies that oversee this balancing act.
Often described as the “pressure” that pushes electric current through a circuit. It’s measured in volts (V) and is essentially the energy per unit charge. Think of it like water pressure: the higher the voltage, the greater the “push” on electrons, and the more current can flow.
Maintaining stable voltage on the grid is critical to keeping the lights on and avoiding equipment damage. Voltage is not consistent across the grid, though it is locally constant, with higher voltages used for longer transmission lines and lower voltages used at the distribution level.
