How does the electrical grid work, and what happens when it breaks?

I used to host a daily show about new digital technology that intended to illustrate and explain how our lives were being revolutionized by computers, the Internet, smart phones, etc. But in the back of my mind I always thought the bigger revolution was the juice that made every single device and network run. Electricity.

A lineman from the Rural Electrification Administration hangs a power line. (Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress)

So I’m eager to listen to MPR News Presents today at noon. Public radio veteran Alex Chadwick hosts a special report about the nation’s electric distribution grid — how it works, its history, and innovations to meet the challenge of linking new sources of energy like wind and solar to the electric grid.