A July 4th special, when energy use across the country is most in demand. Hosted by Alex Chadwick.
Our nation's power grid, the patchwork system that transmits and distributes electricity from plants to consumers, is aging and stretched to capacity—especially in summer months when users face triple-digit temperatures, violent storms and power outages.
BURN examines the state of America's electric power grid and the science needed to modernize it. Can 21st Century electrical engineers use "smart grid" technology to prevent power outages? What are the challenges invovle din linking new sources of energy, such as wind a solar to the grid?