In another year or two, we should be able to get to the point where these switches are feasible. Although it can be much higher, 13.8 kilovolts is the minimum amount of power transferred on residential lines. Today, that power is moved around using mechanical switches. When you get up in the morning and turn on the lights and coffee maker, these switches close, allowing more electricity to flow from the neighborhood line into your house. Other mechanical switches route power to the neighborhood and on to the power plant.
Mechanical switches have a number of problems.
One is that as they open and close, they send electrical spikes down the line. While the spikes don t necessarily kick off the power, they may shut down computers and other electronics. That s why your computer sometimes shuts off but the lights remain on. To avoid such spikes, or more serious outages, the power grid has to be operated below its rated capacity, Pearton said. That means it actually carries less electricity than it is capable of, a problem for power-starved areas such as California, he said.