How to Fix Renewable Energy’s Hidden Infrastructure Problem | WSJ Pro Perfected

Renewable Energy Challenges - Renewable energy sources like wind and solar lack inherent rotational inertia, a key component for grid stability traditionally provided by conventional power plants [2][6] - The increasing reliance on renewables without sufficient grid infrastructure upgrades can heighten the risk of widespread blackouts [5][6] Solutions for Grid Resilience - Grid-forming inverters can provide synthetic inertia to renewable energy sources, enabling them to operate independently and support the grid during disruptions [7][8] - Synchronous condensers, large spinning machines, can add rotational inertia to the grid, improving stability, ideally paired with grid-forming inverters [12][13] - Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) can store excess energy and deploy it to stabilize the grid during outages, with declining battery costs making them a more viable solution [14][15][16] Grid Modernization and Considerations - Implementing grid-forming inverters requires additional measurements like voltage, frequency, and temperature, necessitating comprehensive grid instrumentation [11] - Balancing the trade-offs of different energy sources and designing infrastructure that optimizes these trade-offs is crucial for a reliable and resilient grid [17] - While grid-forming inverters are effective for microgrids, managing synchronization across large, interconnected regions presents new challenges [9][10]