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Question:

If we started building the international grid today, when would it be finished?

Key Words:

building international grid, priority, space race, intercontinental linkages

Answer:

If you began today, and the grid had the same priority as the space race, the grid (including intercontinental linkages) could be finished in ten years.

Question:

Does GENI believe that a united grid for the western hemisphere could be complete within 10 years? Do you also say that the Eastern Hemisphere could follow less than a decade later?

Key Words:

building international grid, priority, space race, intercontinental linkages

Answer:

Regarding the western hemisphere interconnection: Yes, the ten year time frame is certainly possible. President George W. Bush is the first US President to ever use the words "national energy grid", which included strong interties with Canada and Mexico. There are already 100 links between the US and Canada, but just a handful between US and Mexico. With the NAFTA and President Fox's endorsement of the GENI Initiative, we anticipate further US/Mexico integration in the next few years.

Central America is working on their own integrated system through SIEPAC, and last month Columbia began pursuing the interconnection to Mexico to sell their excess hydropower to an energy hungry Mexico City. In July, 1999, all South American energy ministers met and pledged to build the interconnected energy grid throughout all of South America.

With this in place, the 10 year time frame in the Western Hemisphere is doable if the political will stays the course.

The Eastern Hemisphere is a much bigger area, population, and number of countries. Yet a few examples highlight the developments:

  • China has committed to the creation of a national energy grid.
  • The ASEAN nations have made a similar pledge.
  • The Gibraltar Strait underwater cable is now energized selling power between Morocco (Africa) to Spain (Europe).
  • The Gulf States Cooperation Council (5 nations alone the southern Persian Gulf) are finally moving forward with their interconnection plan.
  • ESKOM of Southern Africa has a plan that includes an HVDC/HVAC interconnected system for all of Africa — similar to what the Egyptian energy minister wanted 8 years ago.
  • Europe (UCTE system) and the Scandinavian nations (NORDEL system) are already fully linked, expanding into the former COMECON nations after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. East and West Europe were almost completely integrated a decade later.

Many political hurdles, civil wars, and cultural differences get in the way of sound engineering projects especially in Africa, the Middle East and SE Asia. Yet new lines and underwater cables are being laid every day -- as the demand for energy is projected to double and even triple in the next 50 years. Is the eastern grid doable in the next 20 years? Yes, if the players continue making it a priority.

In 1990, only 50 nations bought and sold power across borders. Today, in 2003, 100 nations trade electricity with their neighboring nations. There are still another 100 nations to go. The trend is strong for grid interconnection between all nations.

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Updated 01/07/2002

 

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GENI -- PO Box 81565, San Diego, CA, USA 92138     Phone: (619) 595-0139
Fax: (619) 595-0403     Email: info@geni.org     http://www.geni.org     Updated: 2002/07/15
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