LIGHTS OUT

A behind-the-scenes exposure why our electricity system is headed for a state of emergency-and what can be done to head it off
Most people don't realize that skyrocketing global energy demand and economic growth severely affect the supply of electricity. Between production (power plants) and delivery is an antiquated, "third-world" transmission grid that is in desperate need of hardening against breakdowns, terrorist attacks, inadequate carrying capacity, and operational obsolescence. And while electricity doesn't hold the headlines or dramatic power of oil, the ability to ensure its uninterrupted supply at a reasonable price is even more essential to global survival and prosperity. Lights Out is today's most detailed, in-depth examination of this largely unreported looming energy crisis. Written by one of the world's top electricity industry experts, this powerful book covers numerous hot button economic and political issues-free markets versus regulation; energy independence versus foreign imports; nuclear power, global warming, and other environmental issues; and much more. Beyond just uncovering and illuminating the problems, however, it proposes a comprehensive road map of technical solutions and regulatory reform from both the production and demand sides of the equation-a framework for rethinking, rebuilding, and enhancing the entire electricity production and delivery infrastructure. Prescriptive and provocative, Lights Out will redefine the simmering debate on how the world can-and must-act now to head off a global catastrophe, one that could eventually wreak even more havoc than the ongoing oil crisis.
Jason Makansi is the President of Pearl Street, Inc., a consulting firm; Principal of PS Liquidity Advisors, an advisory service for energy technology companies raising capital; and Executive Director of the Energy Storage Council, a public-policy advocacy organization. A prolific author, respected industry thought leader, and seasoned communicator, Mr. Makansi has been analyzing the technological, business, and regulatory issues in electricity production and delivery for over twenty-five years. He earned a BS in chemical engineering from Columbia University. His earlier books include An Investor’s Guide to the Electricity Economy, also published by John Wiley & Sons, and Managing Steam: An Engineering Guide to Commercial, Industrial, and Utility Systems.

Jason Makansi is the President of Pearl Street, Inc., a consulting firm he founded in 2000 focused on all aspects of electricity production and delivery. He has launched multiple businesses serving the electricity industry, including an investment fund, an advisory service for companies raising capital, and a public-policy advocacy organization. A prolific author and respected industry thought leader, Makansi has been researching and analyzing the technological, business, and regulatory issues in electricity production and delivery for over twenty-five years. He earned a BS in chemical engineering from Columbia University. Makansi is the author of An Investor's Guide to the Electricity Economy, also published by Wiley, and Managing Steam: An Engineering Guide to Commercial, Industrial, and Utility Systems.

Preface.
Acknowledgments.
Part One. The Worst-Case Scenario.
Chapter 1. Night of the Living Dead.
Chapter 2. The Production and Delivery Value Chain.
Chapter 3. Around the World, Around Town.
Chapter 4. Preventing the Worst Case.
Part Two. Insecurities, Vulnerabilities, and An Uneasy State of the Industry.
Chapter 5. Why a First-World Country Has a Third-World Grid.
Chapter 6. Living with a Transaction Economy.
Chapter 7. The Brain Drain.
Chapter 8. Environmental Imperatives.
Chapter 9. Houston, We Have a Problem.
Chapter 10. The Impact of Lengthening Supply Lines: How Elastic Are They?
Part Three. Fighting "The Last War," Planning the Next One.
Chapter 11. It's That '70s Show.
Chapter 12. Sticker Shock (Without the Sticker).
Chapter 13. Electricity Storage.
Chapter 14. Coal: Extracting Its Full Value.
Chapter 15. Exercising the Nuclear Option.
Chapter 16. Savvy Consumption, Empowering Ratepayers.
Chapter 17. Distributed Power.
Chapter 18. Redefining the Grid with Real Intelligence.
Chapter 19. The Rest of the World.
Chapter 20. A Vision For The Future: Daydream, Nightmare, or a Good Night's Rest?
Postscript: Personal Accountability.
Bibliography.
About the Author.
Index.