“Distributed Microgrids” Might Save Us

Reference to the zombie apocalypse in this post from the Rocky Mountain Institute is tongue in cheek, but the message is serious: A prolonged electricity blackout, whether from weather, terrorism or industrial accident, would mean not only that the lights go out and the meat spoils, but the traffic lights quit working, along with the furnace, sewage processing and the system that brings cities drinkable water. Most agree the best solution is resiliency, but after that consensus breaks down. According to the writer, shifting to “automated microgrids that incorporate distributed, renewable energy sources represents the best opportunity to bring resiliency to our nation’s electricity system for the 21st century and beyond.”