Sustained economic growth has brought new homes and new businesses, all using a myriad of electronic appliances and gadgets. That pushes electricity use to nearly twice that of earlier projections. There are similar warnings in New York, Kansas and Indiana. Electric production is falling behind. Long-distance transmission lines between regions are sagging under increased loads.
Transmission lines move increasing amounts of wholesale power over long distances.
In 1995, there were 25,000 transactions where electricity was sold from one region to another. Last year, the number hit 2 million. In a growing number of areas, the transmission lines are carrying all the power they can. Yet little is being done to upgrade old transmission lines or build more. Local distribution systems are also overtaxed.