U.S. Power Grid

• The Eastern Interconnected System, or the Eastern Interconnect
• The Western Interconnected System, or the Western Interconnect
• The Texas Interconnected System, or the Texas Interconnect

Department Of Energy Graphic

ECAR - East Central Area Reliability Coordination Agreement ERCOT - Electric Reliability Council of Texas FRCC - Florida Reliability Coordinating Council MAAC - Mid-Atlantic Area Council MAIN - Mid-America Interconnected Network MAPP - Mid-Continent Area Power Pool NPCC - Northeast Power Coordinating Council SERC - Southeastern Electric Reliability Council SPP - Southwest Power Pool WSCC - Western Systems Coordinating Council

North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) Regions and Subregions

The Eastern and Western Interconnects have limited interconnections to each other, and the Texas Interconnect is only linked to the others via direct current lines. Both the Western and Texas Interconnects are linked with Mexico, and the Eastern and Western Interconnects are strongly interconnected with Canada. All electric utilities in the mainland United States are connected to at least one other utility via these power grids.

The grid systems in Hawaii and Alaska are much different than on the U.S. mainland. Alaska has an interconnected grid system, but it connects only Anchorage, Fairbanks, and the Kenai Peninsula. Much of the rest of the state depends on small diesel generators, although there are a few minigrids in the state as well. Hawaii also depends on minigrids to serve each island's inhabitants.

Power grids are inherently prone to big blackouts. The United States's electric power grid is growing increasingly complex and interconnected, with a greater number of power buyers and sellers making a burgeoning number of transactions. 

The U.S. power grid is outmoded, with too few transmission lines to handle Americans' ever-growing appetite for electricity.