Visual Rationality: The Grid Is Inefficient

Now that the dust has settled after my post-graduation, endzone celebration of being done with school, it is back to business...

...By business I mean giving unrequited opinions on all things concerning the environment and energy related issues.

I recently opened up a Tumblr account for two reasons:

1. I had heard that Tumblr recently raised at least $30 million on a valuation of $135 million and was curious.
2. Wanted an area where I could post high quality pictures without the bloated features of Picasa or Flicrkr.

Needless to say, I now understand why Tumblr is getting so much attention from venture capitalists.  It is easy to set up, even easier to cruise through, and it is just fun.

After a while, I came across the following picture that accurately represents exactly how outdated some parts of America's electrical distribution system is.

Really?

This looks like a web that a drunk spider would weave.  I know it is not an easy task to redesign the power grid, but in a world where people call wind turbines ugly, I believe it wouldn't be hard to sell a more efficient power grid under the guise of aesthetic values.

A better grid wouldn't look like someone sneezed spagetti onto the skyline which would probably increase property value in some areas, and it would allow for more efficient transfer of cleaner energy.

Just something to think about.