Western Interconnection

America doesn't have one giant electrical grid.

The country operates primarily through three major interconnected systems, the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection, and the ERCOT in Texas.

These systems have communications between them, but they largely operate independently.

That separation provides an important layer of protection.

The United States doesn't have one power grid.

It has three – the Western Interconnection, the Eastern Interconnection, and the Texas Interconnection.

Together, they form the backbone of modern American life, and that backbone is old.

A 2020 study by the U.S. Department of Commerce found that the average age of large power transformers in service was 38 years, which is at or beyond their intended design life.