NPR's Interactive Power Grid Map Shows Who's Got the Power

By
Jaymi Heimbuch
Writer
  • California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Jaymi Heimbuch is a writer and photographer specializing in wildlife conservation. She is the author of The Ethiopian Wolf: Hope at the Edge of Extinction.
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Jaymi Heimbuch
Updated October 11, 2018
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Image via NPR

NPR has put out an interesting interactive map detailing the US's power grid and sources of power. By clicking through the map, you can see where different types of power plants are located, the concentration of those types of power, and the different capacities for renewable energy generation like solar and wind for different areas.

npr power plant concentrations map image

Maps are the best way to visualize what is happening, where, and at what levels, and being able to visualize power generation and power consumption is a key to improving our use. Google Earth Maps have been a big help in this, of course. NPR's interactive map is a cool tool because it's very easy to access and understand the information. We hope they keep it updated and online.