Our country has used the same electric grid for the past century, expanding it countless times as our national population and electricity demands expand. The vast network of linked electric utilities has become the largest interconnected machine on Earth, consisting of more than 9,200 power plants and 300,000 miles of transmission lines.

Although the national power grid is a remarkable accomplishment, it is badly outdated and increasingly incapable of keeping up with our electric-hungry lifestyles of computers, video games, flat-panel televisions and a wide variety of home appliances.

Our country’s electric systems are very dependable although power outages and interruptions still happen, costing Americans at least $150 billion a year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Something smarter is needed. The national Smart Grid plan will implement the latest technology to make utilities more reliable and more resilient. The updates will track power outages faster, limit the size of impacted areas and speed up repairs needed to get electricity back online.

The Smart Grid aims to lessen heavy demands on regional power plants. This will be accomplished by making utilities more efficient in how they deliver electricity. Customers will have helpful tools to conserve power. Utilities also will become more versatile to accommodate other sources of electricity such as on-site power generation and solar power systems.

Finally, the Smart Grid will make existing networks much more capable to handle future growth, delivering 50 to 300 percent more electricity through existing energy conduits.