Electrical Power Transmission Grid

The electrical power transmission grid consists of power lines, substations and line transformers.  Electricity produced by power generation plants is converted to high voltage/low amperage A/C current and transmitted along lines.  When it reaches the end user it is converted back into lower voltage/ higher current so it can be used.  The nature of this conversion leads to energy losses.  The efficiency of electrical transmission lines is around 92%.  This means that roughly 8% of the power produced at generators is lost.  It must also be noted that electricity cannot be effectively stored in large quantities.  This means that all the power that consumers require must be provided on demand by the power plant.  The continuous cycling up and down of power plants can lead to instabilities or power fluctuations.