The power of networking-pooling resources to keep our electricity on requires control

One of life's mysteries is how electric power companies provide our homes and industries with electric service so reliably and, despite oft-heard complaints, so economically. This article will attempt to shed light on the basic principles on which electric power systems operate. The author discusses the electric power grid, power system organisation, frequency control, clock time, power interchange control, area control error, economic load dispatch, spinning reserve, load flow, system security, and voltage stability.