Ep 7 | What is the Duck Curve, & Does When We Use Energy Matter?

We often take our energy for granted – as long as the lights turn on, the stove works, and the A/C is running, we’re happy. What we may not realize is that the electrical grid is a large and complex system — it has been called the largest machine in the world! How does the electric grid actually work and deliver the energy that we rely on, and does when we use energy matter? (Spoiler alert: Yes!) That’s what we’ll be diving into in this interactive episode.

Our expert guest is Stephen Collins from Southern California Edison, one of the largest electric utilities in the U.S. He explains what the duck curve is and the challenges that utilities face as they look to increase renewables in the electricity mix. The intermittency of renewable energy can be a problem, given that when we use the most energy isn’t always when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. Stephen speaks with us about the role of utilities in the energy transition, the behind-the-scenes of how a grid operator works to balance energy supply and demand in real time, the barriers to grid decarbonization, solutions to address the misalignment between when we have the most renewable energy available and when we use the most energy, and the utility business model.

We then do something a little different for our student segment – we go “on-the-road” around the USC campus to ask people about their understanding of the duck curve and seek out some practical tips on ways to reduce energy usage during the peak demand hours.

02:18 Interview with Stephen Collins

47:30 “On the Road” Interviews

57:27 Concluding Remarks

Don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast so you can automatically get access to our new episodes – you can find us on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. And we would appreciate it so much if you could leave a rating and review. Special thanks to everyone who kindly agreed to speak with us and as always, to Abhi, our technical guru. This podcast is sponsored by the USC Ershaghi Center for Energy Transition.

Additional Resources:

• SCE Paper, Countdown to 2045

• CAISO app, ISO Today

• CAISO home page

• CAISO, How Power Flows in California

• Council on Foreign Relations, How Does the U.S. Power Grid Work?

• EIA: As solar capacity grows, duck curves are getting deeper in California

• CNET, Peak and Off-Peak Energy Explainer: Here's the Cheapest Time to Use Electricity

Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during the Energy Transition Talk series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of the Ershaghi Center for Energy Transition (E-CET) or the producers of this podcast.