There are no precise estimates of what can be done with electric grids in the next 10,000 years because there are too many variables and uncertainties about these systems, but one thing is clear: they must change, and quickly. In addition to changing the grid's design, we need changes in how it operates (the way electricity moves through it), as well as the types and amount of renewable sources being used, which is a major challenge for the next century.

History Insights and Existing Highlights

Electricity has been around since the late 1800s when Edison created the first light bulb. Electricity today powers homes and businesses far more efficiently than earlier forms of energy such as steam or fuel engines. More efficient use of electricity also means that it is cheaper overall and less prone to outages, whether due to equipment breakdowns or other factors. Even though people talk about "going green," not everyone can afford to do so -- or want to -- at this time. As society grows and technology expands, and our economies become complex and interdependent, the potential for significant environmental consequences becomes more apparent. For example, in 2012 and 2013, coal-fired power plants suffered outages nearly every day. This leads to a larger carbon footprint per unit of electricity produced, which further increases our consumption and contributes to climate change. While most countries have already made some emissions reduction targets in place (e.g., California's cap on greenhouse gas emissions from 2015 onward), this doesn't mean nations aren't capable of taking steps to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of increasing global temperatures over the long term.

As the world's population and economic development grow and develop beyond what we've historically considered normal, the amount of land and water resources required for the necessary infrastructure -- especially power generation -- continues to expand; it will be even harder in the coming decades to meet current demands with existing infrastructure. Increasing global temperatures further pose a serious threat to human life. At the same time, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and ice caps, wildfires, storms, and floods, as well as extreme weather events, all raise the risk of natural disasters, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, hailstorms, earthquakes, and tsunamis, among others. Power-generating capacity is not only an essential part of addressing these problems, but it is also critical to help the poorest nations, as well as those with limited access, in making the transition to clean energy and sustainable growth. And all of this requires new technologies, processes, and energy sources. But while these issues are solvable with modern technologies, new models will likely never exist. They would require advances in materials science, engineering, and manufacturing, but those solutions are still months away from fruition. Instead, we'll need to come up with new strategies to build resilient, dependable, affordable, and reliable power systems, including:

·         New transmission networks and storage systems, which will include alternative fuels, backup options, and distributed generators

·         New ways to store and exchange energy, using renewables such as solar, wind, or geothermal heat pumps

·         New building codes -- such as LEED certification, Green Building Certifications (GBCs), and smart buildings -- that will be much stricter

·         New electrical grids and their architecture

·         New building codes

·         New transportation systems -- like buses, trains, and airplanes -- that reduce travel by air

·         New building standards and regulations -- like reducing GHG emissions by 20 percent over 10 years period.

There can be no substitute for governments doing something about these challenges right now, but progress may be slow or nonexistent for another decade or so. To make the transition to cleaner, renewable energy possible, however, we must keep trying to eliminate legacy energy sources and look to other options. Let us consider each option.

Transmission and distribution solutions

To meet energy demand in the next 100 years and beyond, the country needs to ramp up its transmission network. Transmission lines connect to power plants which produce electricity. Their purpose is to transmit electricity directly from producers to consumers and vice versa. Because of their inherent limitations (e.g., voltage dropout and distortion) which lead to fluctuations in electricity prices, existing transmission lines were built with huge losses in mind, resulting in a high cost of investment on both sides. Modern transmission and distribution networks are designed to reduce costs, improve reliability, and increase reliability. However, there are limits to how fast these capabilities can scale. Many transmission lines are over 200kvolt in operation, which means that they can theoretically reach maximum capacities within 50 years. Unfortunately, in actual practice, transmission lines don't tend to exceed 120kv when installed in central areas. Except for certain older electric cables, it can take a few hundred years to transform a transmission line into high-capacity fiber -- or cable. Once completed, fiber runs underground and can allow up to five times as many channels as copper wires without having to upgrade the transmission plant or facility. Today, fiber is becoming more widely available, but it could only ever reach speeds of 60 miles per hour if the country invests in higher speeds within the next ten to twenty years. Achieving this goal will require advanced technology to lower the latency between electricity generators and consumers, which means faster data transfers between them, along with improved algorithms to handle large amounts of information faster. When this happens, it will be able to deliver increased speed options and ultimately maximize throughput and efficiency. Finally, as the grid evolves alongside the Internet of Things (IoT), companies and industries will find themselves managing loads at greater speeds, allowing power plants to use fewer resources and generate more power. By 2030, it should be possible to install 500 gigawatts of offshore-cable fiber undersea cable.

 Power plants using alternate fuels and backup options

The primary function of electricity transmission is to transmit electricity from the source to the consumer. Without power stations, the delivery of electricity from the source to the customer will not occur, nor will consumers receive any power. Yet, without power stations, the delivery of electricity from the power station to the customer remains largely unchanged. Most companies rely on fossil fuels to create power, but some also use nuclear power, natural gas, and low-carbon/renewable power generation. These alternatives have different advantages and disadvantages.

Fossil fuels and their Replacement

Fossil fuels are naturally occurring elements such as oil, gas, wood, coal, and metals. Although fossil fuels are environmentally friendly and have several advantages relative to renewables, they still emit CO2, which increases global temperature and threatens biodiversity, ecosystems, and public health. That's why alternative energies, such as solar, wind, hydropower, and geothermal power, are commonly preferred. Fossil fuels represent roughly 40–50% of total electricity generation and will continue to play an important role in transmitting and delivering electricity to customers. Compared to natural gas, nuclear, and wind, they have substantially lower emissions and do not contribute to air pollution. Despite their lower contribution to pollutants, the production and usage of fossils are a major cause of deforestation, and soil erosion leading to severe floods, drought, and landslides in fragile communities. Given that fossil fuels account for almost 80% of our energy supply, new technologies, and energy resources will be needed to dramatically reduce emissions and make these energies economically viable in the future. The key is finding a balance between sustainability goals and energy security. Currently, fossil fuels have a negative net impact on the environment. Therefore, the best approach would be to focus on replacing old, inefficient, and expensive conventional technologies with ones based on sustainable sources. Examples of these technologies include carbon capture technologies, biofuels, hydrogen production, direct air capture, and nuclear fusion. Furthermore, because these types of renewable energy resources require vast quantities of raw materials, local industries will be heavily affected by shifting from fossil fuels to alternative energy, thereby creating job losses. Thus, instead of relying on traditional resources, the nation will benefit from tapping into newer renewable energy resources, which tend to require little additional input. Moreover, research shows that renewables can provide more jobs and lower energy intensity than fossil fuels and could be an effective solution to the national energy crisis for the near future. One advantage of utilizing alternative energy resources is that it creates a diversified source of energy that won't affect the quality of our environment. If implemented correctly, this kind of energy is expected to reduce reliance on fossil fuels over a considerably long period. Renewable energy resources typically don't result in the depletion of hydrocarbon reserves because energy is constantly replenished. Also, unlike natural resource extraction, manufacturing, transporting, and storing these resources do not contribute significantly to global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, soil erosion, and groundwater contamination. Additionally, compared to fossil fuels, renewable energy resources currently don't create greenhouse gases either. Indeed, scientists estimate that most kinds of biomass and waste are biodegradable. Furthermore, renewable energy resources do not release a great deal of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere; on average, they don't release any of this into the atmosphere by burning, producing, or incineration. 

Lastly, because renewable energy resources are constantly replenished, they do not create waste disposal problems either. Thus, these resources are ideally suited for regions where fossil fuels demand to expand to ensure energy security. These areas of land and water include deserts, arid grasslands, and tropical rainforests. Research suggests that more than half of the earth's population lives in desert-like conditions, which will make renewable energy resources particularly valuable to those who live close to the equator. It takes enormous efforts to mine lithium and cobalt, but studies have shown that this activity can remove approximately 30 million tons of carbon dioxide, which is equal to removing about 15% or 70% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. According to projections, about 45% of the entire world's electricity demand will come from renewable sources by 2050. While this figure seems daunting, it is possible to address this issue by exploring new approaches and applying modern technologies in various parts of the region