Think of it like the heart beat of the human body. This push and pull of the flow of electricity along the grid is called frequency. But how do they know when things are in synch and balanced?
This synching of generation and demand for electricity within the interconnection is handled by balancing authorities. The interconnection houses many generators, of various sizes and types that are connected, pulling and pushing on one another, and rotating in perfect synch to keep the amount of electricity generated equal to the amount of electricity being consumed. They are overseen by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) which develops standards that are further overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).īut why exactly would an electrical grid need balancing to begin with and what does that have to do with reliability? The Eastern Interconnection is like a giant clock, open it up and you see a bunch of gears, all different sizes, connected together and turning in perfect synchronization. The Energy Information Administration defines a balancing authority as “the responsible entity that integrates resource plans ahead of time, maintains load-interchange-generation balance within a Balancing Authority Area, and supports Interconnection frequency in real time.” That’s a complicated way of saying that these balancing authorities are responsible for ensuring that the electrical grid remains secure, safe, stable and reliable. Beyond that, there are entities called balancing authorities at work within this electricity superhighway. Kentucky is a part of the Eastern Interconnection, which is one of three major electrical grids in the United States. The two grids work together to provide electricity to customers. This grid takes the power from the transmission grid, transforms it into power that is safe and usable, and then transports it to all customers in a utility’s territory. What most people see in their neighborhoods, the lines and poles, is actually the distribution grid. While not originally built to move bulk power nationwide, today the transmission grid has evolved to serve in that role. The grid, like the one shown in the map, is actually the transmission grid. Taking a look at the map, the electricity you use is supplied through a network of complex interconnections and balancing authorities all over the United States. Who exactly controls our electrical grid and how they work to keep it safe, secure and reliable goes far beyond those two power plants just down the road. To some extent that is correct, but like most things the story is more complex. When you grow up living near two large power plants in Western Kentucky, it’s not hard to assume that those plants supply electricity to your home and community and without them the lights would go out.
By Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet on Octo
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