I don't understand your argument tbh. Europe is roughly the same size as the US and is about twice as dense. The density means that power demand is significantly higher and you need more frequent generators. The increased sparsity and climate variation of the US makes it more difficult to build a grid all together. But both the US and EU have interconnected grids so I'm not sure what you're saying here.
No one was arguing against interconnected grids. I was arguing that you don't want to generate power in California and use that power in Maine. Maybe that's the issue? While this is possible, you not only are losing a lot of power in transit, Maine would be at serious risk for power outages. Both distance and climate variation play a role here as both these factors make it easier for a grid to go down. Let's say there is a 1% chance of outage per 100 miles of grid. Well you got about 2500 miles to cross.
Also, the US is federated. I'm not sure if the politics make it any easier than in Europe. In our example Maine is beholden to at least 10 states. If something happens you know those states are demanding they get power first. The federal government (president) isn't just a dictator who can make the states act uniformly and in the best interest of the country as a whole. It's really best to think of the US as somewhere between a country and the EU itself. It was set up to be more like the EU in the first place but power has consolidated over time.
No one was arguing against interconnected grids. I was arguing that you don't want to generate power in California and use that power in Maine. Maybe that's the issue? While this is possible, you not only are losing a lot of power in transit, Maine would be at serious risk for power outages. Both distance and climate variation play a role here as both these factors make it easier for a grid to go down. Let's say there is a 1% chance of outage per 100 miles of grid. Well you got about 2500 miles to cross.
Also, the US is federated. I'm not sure if the politics make it any easier than in Europe. In our example Maine is beholden to at least 10 states. If something happens you know those states are demanding they get power first. The federal government (president) isn't just a dictator who can make the states act uniformly and in the best interest of the country as a whole. It's really best to think of the US as somewhere between a country and the EU itself. It was set up to be more like the EU in the first place but power has consolidated over time.