National Grid (Great Britain)
The National Grid is the high-voltage electric power transmission network serving Great Britain, connecting power stations and major substations, and ensuring that electricity generated anywhere on the grid can be used to satisfy demand elsewhere. The network serves the majority of Great Britain and some of the surrounding islands. It does not cover Northern Ireland, which is part of the Irish single electricity market.
Electricity pylons in a suburban area of Pudsey, West Yorkshire
National Grid helicopter inspecting overhead cables in Greater Manchester
400 kV power line in Cheshire
An electrical grid is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids consist of power stations, electrical substations to step voltage up or down, electric power transmission to carry power over long distances, and finally electric power distribution to customers. In that last step, voltage is stepped down again to the required service voltage. Power stations are typically built close to energy sources and far from densely populated areas. Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents. From small to large there are microgrids, wide area synchronous grids, and super grids.
Turbo generator
A brownout near Tokyo Tower in Tokyo, Japan
Toronto during the Northeast blackout of 2003, which required black-starting of generating stations.
Characteristics of a traditional system (left) versus the smart grid (right)