Peak Oil: Punctuated Power

Our power, water and communications utilities are now heavily interdependent and are particularly energy hungry


In almost all countries the production and distribution of electrical power is via a high voltage national grid that allows the combining of many generators to spread the demand and improve resilience under maintenance and fault conditions. This configuration allows localised peak demand to be handled in an orderly and predictable fashion provided there is spare generating capacity elsewhere.

Currently, electricity is generated variously ranging from oil, gas, coal to nuclear and, to a lesser extent, wind and wave; but all require large capital investment. As a consequence, until now, excess generating capacity has remained within a few percent of demand.

Sanders Research Associates (free registration required)