The grid : the fraying wires between Americans and our energy future / Gretchen Bakke.
"The grid is an accident of history and of culture, in no way intrinsic to how we produce, deliver and consume electrical power. Yet this is the system the United States ended up with, a jerry-built structure now so rickety and near collapse that a strong wind or a hot day can bring it to a grinding halt. The grid is now under threat from a new source: renewable and variable energy, which puts stress on its logics as much as its components. In entertaining, perceptive, and deeply researched fashion, cultural anthropologist Gretchen Bakke uses the history of an increasingly outdated infrastructure to show how the United States has gone from seemingly infinite technological prowess to a land of structural instability. She brings humor and a bright eye to contemporary solutions and to the often surprising ways in which these succeed or fail. And the consequences of failure are significant. Our national electrical grid grew during an era when monopoly, centralization and standardization meant strength. Yet as we've increasingly become a nation that caters to local needs, and as a plethora of new, renewable energy sources comes on line, our massive system is dangerously out of step. Charting the history of our electrical grid, Bakke helps us see what we all take for granted, shows it as central to our culture and identity as a people, and reveals it to be the linchpin in our aspirations for a clean energy future"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781608196104
- ISBN: 1608196100
- Physical Description: xxx, 352 pages ; 25 cm
- Publisher: New York, NY : Bloomsbury USA, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2016.
- Copyright: ©2016
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- The way of the wind -- How the grid got its wires -- The consolidation of power -- The cardigan path -- Things fall apart -- Two birds, one stone -- A tale of two storms -- In search of the Holy Grail -- American zeitgeist -- Afterword: Contemplating death in the afternoon.
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Available copies
- 7 of 7 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Madison County Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 7 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Main Library | 333.793 BAK (Text) | 30229101076403 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Accessibility Features
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| 100 | 1 | . | ‡aBakke, Gretchen Anna, ‡eauthor. ‡0(CARDINAL)555013 |
| 245 | 1 | 4. | ‡aThe grid : ‡bthe fraying wires between Americans and our energy future / ‡cGretchen Bakke. |
| 264 | 1. | ‡aNew York, NY : ‡bBloomsbury USA, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, ‡c2016. | |
| 264 | 4. | ‡c©2016 | |
| 300 | . | ‡axxx, 352 pages ; ‡c25 cm | |
| 336 | . | ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent | |
| 337 | . | ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia | |
| 338 | . | ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier | |
| 504 | . | ‡aIncludes bibliographical references and index. | |
| 505 | 0 | . | ‡aThe way of the wind -- How the grid got its wires -- The consolidation of power -- The cardigan path -- Things fall apart -- Two birds, one stone -- A tale of two storms -- In search of the Holy Grail -- American zeitgeist -- Afterword: Contemplating death in the afternoon. |
| 520 | . | ‡a"The grid is an accident of history and of culture, in no way intrinsic to how we produce, deliver and consume electrical power. Yet this is the system the United States ended up with, a jerry-built structure now so rickety and near collapse that a strong wind or a hot day can bring it to a grinding halt. The grid is now under threat from a new source: renewable and variable energy, which puts stress on its logics as much as its components. In entertaining, perceptive, and deeply researched fashion, cultural anthropologist Gretchen Bakke uses the history of an increasingly outdated infrastructure to show how the United States has gone from seemingly infinite technological prowess to a land of structural instability. She brings humor and a bright eye to contemporary solutions and to the often surprising ways in which these succeed or fail. And the consequences of failure are significant. Our national electrical grid grew during an era when monopoly, centralization and standardization meant strength. Yet as we've increasingly become a nation that caters to local needs, and as a plethora of new, renewable energy sources comes on line, our massive system is dangerously out of step. Charting the history of our electrical grid, Bakke helps us see what we all take for granted, shows it as central to our culture and identity as a people, and reveals it to be the linchpin in our aspirations for a clean energy future"-- ‡cProvided by publisher. | |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aElectric power systems ‡xTechnological innovations ‡zUnited States. | |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aElectric power distribution ‡zUnited States ‡xHistory. | |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aClean energy ‡zUnited States. | |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aElectric power failures ‡zUnited States. | |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aEnergy policy ‡xSocial aspects ‡zUnited States. | |
| 902 | . | ‡aMARCIVE 201809 | |
| 902 | . | ‡aMARCIVE 201909 | |
| 902 | . | ‡aMARCIVE 201912 | |
| 902 | . | ‡aMARCIVE 202106 | |
| 901 | . | ‡a9407335 ‡b ‡c9407335 ‡tbiblio ‡soclc | |
