
Coal gas was first produced on customer's premises but later evolved into gasification plants that enjoyed economies of scale. In the 1880s, electricity competed with steam, hydraulics, and especially coal gas. History Įarly electric energy was produced near the device or service requiring that energy. Particular concerns relate to the more complex computer systems needed to manage grids. Also as electric grids modernize and introduce computer technology, cyber threats start to become a security risk. Įlectrical grids can be prone to malicious intrusion or attack thus, there is a need for electric grid security. About 840 million people (mostly in Africa) had no access to grid electricity in 2017, down from 1.2 billion in 2010.

As electrification increases, the number of people with access to grid electricity is growing. The combined transmission and distribution network is part of electricity delivery, known as the " power grid" in North America, or just "the grid." In the United Kingdom, India, Tanzania, Myanmar, Malaysia and New Zealand, the network is known as the National Grid.Īlthough electrical grids are widespread, as of 2016, 1.4 billion people worldwide were not connected to an electricity grid. This allows transmission of AC power throughout the area, connecting a large number of electricity generators and consumers and potentially enabling more efficient electricity markets and redundant generation. Grids are nearly always synchronous, meaning all distribution areas operate with three phase alternating current (AC) frequencies synchronized (so that voltage swings occur at almost the same time).

electrical substations to step voltage up or down.power stations: often located near energy and away from heavily populated areas.Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents. Voltages and depictions of electrical lines are typical for Germany and other European systems.Īn electrical grid is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers.
