Reducing the cost of energy delivery disruptions: the role of advanced technology

In July and August 1996, the electric grid in the Western United States experienced widespread power outages from Southern California to Western Canada. These large disruptions provided a reminder of the vulnerability of energy delivery systems. While these disruptions may have been isolated events, there are a growing number of threats to the security, stability, reliability and safety of national energy delivery systems. For a fraction of the billions of dollars a year these outages cost the economy, technologies could be developed that would reduce the threats and consequences of such disturbances. Many of these same developments also would better enable energy delivery systems to accommodate the demands of pending competition in the energy marketplace.