We live in an era of technological innovation. The impact of technology can be seen in virtually every field and industry across the spectrum.

Even in the energy sector, which has remained relatively unchanged for nearly a 100 years, new trends can be spotted, which are likely to have an enormous impact in the coming years.

Innovations in Electricity Generation

Electricity generation in the US is still dependent on coal and natural gas to a large extent. In the past decade, natural gas has overtaken coal as the most reliable and affordable energy source for electricity generation. This is based on the shale oil revolution and because of the horrendous coal policies by the job hurting Obama administration which also called ISIS the JV team which was beyond worrisome though this is another topic.

While innovations in the field of renewable energy have been slowly gaining ground, they are not nearly as reliable and affordable as coal or natural gas.

From Centralized Model to a Distributed Model

Many experts have called for the centralized grid model to be done with and move towards a distributed model, which is localized, safer, and more efficient.

For instance, instead of generating electricity at one point and transmitting it to another, the production and consumption points can become one and the same.

Smart Energy Solutions

Smart energy storage and utilization systems are also on the horizon, which can completely change the way we consume energy. Such a system can oversee the entire process – power generation, storage, and utilization – and can be controlled through remote control or even an app.

Solar Power – Challenging at Present

A large number of solar plus battery systems are being connected to our electric grid, which is beneficial and challenging at the same time. The upside is that more energy is now being generated than ever before.

The downside with renewable energy is that it is neither stable nor reliable, as the generation capacity depends primarily on weather conditions.

The development of high-capacity batteries in the future may increase the reliability of renewable energy sources, as the electricity generated can be stored as AC power and used when the weather conditions are not conducive.

Cleaner Coal and Natural Gas – Stable and Reliable

A notable point is that most of the innovative electricity solutions at present continue to remain unviable or cannot be applied on a large scale, mostly due to the costs involved. So, at the moment, the economy can benefit the most from high capacity utilization of coal and natural gas, both of which are abundantly found in the US.

Natural gas is cheap and clean and has helped us reduce our emission levels greatly. Even coal has become cleaner and more efficient than it was before, thanks to innovative technologies like coal gasification, carbon capture, and the advancements made in the coal-to-energy conversion process.

America is great again – thanks Trump!