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9 - Electricity Grids

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  aN Invalid Date NaN

Mark Z. Jacobson
Affiliation:
Stanford University
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Summary

A 100 percent WWS energy infrastructure involves electrifying or providing direct heat for all energy sectors and then providing the electricity or heat with WWS. The solution also requires interconnecting geographically dispersed WWS generators on transmission and distribution grids and providing electricity and heat for isolated microgrids. Because electricity and grids are such a large part of the solution, understanding how both work is important. This chapter discusses these issues along with the history of electromagnetism and the battle between George Westinghouse/Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison to determine whether alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) would predominate worldwide. The chapter also discusses how transformers, motors, and generators work.

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Still No Miracles Needed
How Today's Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air
, pp. 205 - 224
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2026

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  • Electricity Grids
  • Mark Z. Jacobson, Stanford University
  • Book: Still No Miracles Needed
  • Online publication: 17 February 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009662482.011
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  • Electricity Grids
  • Mark Z. Jacobson, Stanford University
  • Book: Still No Miracles Needed
  • Online publication: 17 February 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009662482.011
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Electricity Grids
  • Mark Z. Jacobson, Stanford University
  • Book: Still No Miracles Needed
  • Online publication: 17 February 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009662482.011
Available formats
×