Slate Money Everyone Cares About Power Grids This Week
37 snips
May 3, 2025 This week, energy expert John Kemp, owner of Base Research, joins the conversation to dissect the recent 18-hour blackout in the Iberian Peninsula. He dives into the fragility of power grids and the critical role of renewable energy. The hosts also challenge the relevance of GDP as an economic measure, calling for a broader perspective on well-being and inequality. Finally, they explore the pitfalls of stack ranking management in the tech world, arguing for more collaborative workplace cultures.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Power Grids' Fragile Balancing Act
- Power grids must continuously match generation and consumption within very tight frequency and voltage limits.
- Cascading blackouts are rare because grids have multiple layers of protection to prevent failure spread.
Rotational Inertia Stabilizes Grids
- Rotational inertia from spinning turbines helps stabilize grids by absorbing or supplying power during demand-supply imbalances.
- This inertia allows time for power control rooms to react before failures cascade.
Renewables Reduce Grid Inertia
- Renewable sources like solar and wind don't provide rotational inertia because their generation units lack large spinning turbines.
- This lack of inertia challenges grid stability as renewables make up larger energy shares.
