The Energy SuperGrid

Summary form only given. This presentation discusses a proposal originally developed in 2001 by Chauncey Starr, founder and emeritus president of EPRI, for the creation of a "Continental SuperGrid" to meet the nation\´s energy needs in the mid to later half of the 21 ^st Century. In brief, the proposal calls for the creation of an Energy SuperGrid, delivering both electricity and hydrogen. The electric portion of the grid would use superconducting, low voltage, high current DC cables for power transmission, with liquid hydrogen used as the cryogen agent. The electric power and hydrogen would be supplied from nuclear and other source power plants spaced along the grid. Electricity would exit the system at various taps, connecting into the existing AC power grid. The hydrogen would also exit the grid, providing a readily available, alternative fuel, for perhaps fuel-cell based automobiles, or be retained as storage of electric power.