The national electric utility; aka THE GRID, is actually hundreds of individual utilities
Regardless of the method of generation; electricity travels the nation’s electric utility in an intricate daisy-chain of far-flung high voltage power transmission lines and systems. Power levels of up to 400,000 volts are maintained in order to travel the great distances required.
The next step is to reduce the ultra HV down to 2.3 to 35KV at local electrical service substations prior to its primary network distribution.It is the responsibility of local and regional, private and public electric utilities to provide primary networks for final distribution. These in turn distribute the reduced power to residential commercial and industrial facilities over their power lines where and as needed.
Generators at power plants produce electricity (approximately 25,000KV) and then boast it to ultra high voltages (to 400,000KV) with the plant's transformers for long distance transmission to local utilities. Local electric utility substations then reduce it to 2.3 to 35KV in a variety of transformers for final distribution to their customers - you and I - us. 
The transformer provides the last step in power transmission prior to customer delivery. They reduce the higher voltages to the 110V for domestic use and up to the 600V for safe commercial use. This is how we light the cities, power the factories and cool our lettuce with – This Is The Grid.The electric utility usually mounts transformers on poles, or concrete pads, or in vaults. Depending on customer demands (load), several transformers may be required. As can be seen, the grid is widespread and a very complex system. A network surge anywhere, in the system can result in a voltage collapse. It’s something like domino's falling, only in the blink of an eye. This can lead to whole regions being blacked out. Voltage collapses are caused by a voltage instability leading to the notorious power outage. You see, alternating or AC electricity is very sensitive. It reacts to losses such as - say when a car slams into a power pole.
For example, when the power lines touch the ground, they immediately (overloads the system) shorts out. The reason for this, is that utility power operates at a very-very low impedance. In this case, there isn’t enough power available at that precise instant to make up for the huge power drain. Actually there is enough, but it wouldn’t get there in time. Because by the time it could get there, the feed would have already dropped out and the voltage instability would have been sensed all over the web - possibly even hundreds of miles distant. The point is, a power outage is under way. Things happen quickly when you're dealing in microseconds.
The same principle applies when reinstating power only in the reverse. Everything must be in balance, the 60 cycle phase must be in sync everywhere, every relay must close precisely with no chatter, and hopefully the electric utility removed the tree. If you’ve ever experienced a power outage – and I’m sure you have, I’ll bet you wished you had access to other energy resources like wind or solar. Or how about zero point energy. Oh yes, and maybe you’ll remember when the power came back on, that it sometimes went right back off. Then on, then off again, then back on. Now you know why. How about free energy 24/7. The grid, AKA the electric utility.  Custom Search
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The main difference between the HV transmission lines that crisscross the countryside and the local primary distribution networks, is the voltage. 
