r/TheGrid

877 archived posts · Apr 2013 – Sep 2026

TheGrid

r/TheGrid

A reddit for the grid. All things grid'ed. From smart ones to dumb ones. From close ones to far ones. From old ones to new ones. The grid and all its glory... and shortcomings is the focus of this guy. Post whatever you feel appropriate. Get connected!

Created Apr 5, 2013 · restricted

653Members (last snapshot)

877Archived posts

The Grid reddit

The Grid - an interconnected network for delivering electricity from suppliers to consumers. It consists of generating stations that produce electrical power, high-voltage transmission lines that carry power from distant sources to demand centers, and distribution lines that connect individual customers.

Power stations may be located near a fuel source, at a dam site, or to take advantage of renewable energy sources, and are often located away from heavily populated areas. They are usually quite large to take advantage of the economies of scale. The electric power which is generated is stepped up to a higher voltage-at which it connects to the transmission network. The transmission network will move the power long distances, sometimes across international boundaries, until it reaches its wholesale customer (usually the company that owns the local distribution network).

On arrival at a substation, the power will be stepped down from a transmission level voltage to a distribution level voltage. As it exits the substation, it enters the distribution wiring. Finally, upon arrival at the service location, the power is stepped down again from the distribution voltage to the required service voltage(s).

Wikipedia: electrical grid

Related sub-reddits

Un-reddit links of note

HowStuffWorks: How Power Grids Work
Answers.USA.gov: Electric Power Grids
Energy.gov: Smart Grid
MIT Energy Initiative: The Future of the Electric Grid
National Geographic: Electrical Grid (2010)
Science.Smith.edu: How Power Grids Work
The Industrial Physicist: What's wrong with the electric grid?
Wikipedia: Electric power transmission
Wikipedia: Grid energy storage

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