GETTING dark? Switch on a light. It鈥檚 the most mundane of actions: so mundane, in fact, that we often forget just how formidable a task it is to keep the lights on. To achieve it, power stations, pylons and cables must work around the clock and in all weathers, and supply everything from smelters to hairdryers while they鈥檙e at it.
Not everyone takes access to electricity for granted. Less than a quarter of Ethiopia鈥檚 people are on the grid, according to the World Bank. The country wants to get 30 million more wired up 鈥� but to do so, it risks killing off the rich ecosystem of Lake Turkana, the so-called Jade Sea (see 鈥�This vast lake will die so millions can live better鈥�).
Quite the dilemma. Such quandaries are not confined to the developing world. The West, too, has tricky choices to make when it comes to electricity supply. In the UK, successive governments鈥� shilly-shallying has led to older power stations being closed faster than newer ones are being built. Industry is already worried about the potential for power failures; domestic users may soon share their concern.
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鈥淚ndustry is already worried about power failures; domestic users may soon share their concerns鈥�
Suppliers are on the horns not of a dilemma, but a trilemma. Reliable power doesn鈥檛 come cheap; but rising bills are hugely unpopular. Cheap power isn鈥檛 green, but emissions must fall. And green power isn鈥檛 reliable 鈥� but the lights must stay on.
Is there any way out? The UK鈥檚 National Grid proposes to tackle demand, rather than supply, by rewarding industrial customers for relieving the load on the grid at peak times (see 鈥�Energy trilemma: Can power be cheap, clean and secure?鈥�).
It鈥檚 a neat idea. But we can go further. Rather than exhorting people to turn off the lights 鈥� as smart meters seek to do 鈥� smart switches should do it for them, while smart storage smooths supply and smart grids ensure it flows only as needed.
These elements are falling into place. But large-scale adoption requires political will that has been absent on the supply side. Economic incentives are a good way to encourage uptake; more, please. Better that we learn how to turn the lights off than relearn how to live without them.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淜eeping the lights off鈥�
