Overview of the Electric Power Industry
In Overview of the Electric Power Industry, you'll learn ...
- How the Federal government regulates the industry
- The operational characteristics of different power plants
- The purpose of RTO’s and ISO’s
- Why all power lines are not installed underground
Overview
A revolution began in the late 19th Century that changed the world. Electrification of the United States brought dramatic improvements in the efficiency of manufacturing and production. It has increased the quality of life for citizens and improved the health and welfare of the entire nation. The utility is changing. With new forms of generation, increased customer involvement, climate change, and cyber threats, the utility industry is adapting to a different model. Over the past 100 years, the industry has proven itself resilient, and it will continue to find ways to meet the needs of its customers.
This course explains how the electric utility industry began, how it is structured, the participants, and how the industry operates. The course covers significant Federal regulation and describes each of the major generation sources. All three facets of the industry: generation, transmission, and distribution are addressed.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Summarize the history of the electric power industry.
- Explain how the electric power industry market is structured.
- Describe the major types of power generation plants.
- Explain the structure of the U.S. transmission grid.
- Identify the major components of an electric distribution system.
Certificate of Completion
You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 25 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.
| This course is applicable to professional engineers in: | ||
| Alabama (P.E.) | Alaska (P.E.) | Arkansas (P.E.) |
| Delaware (P.E.) | District of Columbia (P.E.) | Florida (P.E. Area of Practice) |
| Georgia (P.E.) | Idaho (P.E.) | Illinois (P.E.) |
| Illinois (S.E.) | Indiana (P.E.) | Iowa (P.E.) |
| Kansas (P.E.) | Kentucky (P.E.) | Louisiana (P.E.) |
| Maine (P.E.) | Maryland (P.E.) | Michigan (P.E.) |
| Minnesota (P.E.) | Mississippi (P.E.) | Missouri (P.E.) |
| Montana (P.E.) | Nebraska (P.E.) | Nevada (P.E.) |
| New Hampshire (P.E.) | New Jersey (P.E.) | New Mexico (P.E.) |
| New York (P.E.) | North Carolina (P.E.) | North Dakota (P.E.) |
| Ohio (P.E. Self-Paced) | Oklahoma (P.E.) | Oregon (P.E.) |
| Pennsylvania (P.E.) | South Carolina (P.E.) | South Dakota (P.E.) |
| Tennessee (P.E.) | Texas (P.E.) | Utah (P.E.) |
| Vermont (P.E.) | Virginia (P.E.) | West Virginia (P.E.) |
| Wisconsin (P.E.) | Wyoming (P.E.) | |



