Why it matters, infrastructure system
Transmission and distribution grid
The high-voltage transmission network, substations and distribution lines that carry power from generators to loads.
- Depends on
- 1
- Depended on by
- 2
- Metrics
- 1
Neighbourhood: what depends on it (left), what it depends on (right)
- Candidate
- Hypothesized
- Mechanism supported
- Causally supported
- Established relation
Systems that would feel a shortage
Downstream: what depends on it
Data center requires input Transmission and distribution grid2 evidenceEstablished relation
Data center depends on Transmission and distribution grid.
Mechanism
A data center draws tens to hundreds of megawatts continuously and operates only once connected to the grid at that capacity, so siting and energization follow interconnection.
Evidence
- documentIEA, Energy and AI (2025)iea.orgData-center electricity demand, accelerators and grid connection.checked 2026-09-07
- documentU.S. DOE, report on the increase in electricity demand from data centers (2024)energy.govchecked 2026-09-07
- Status
- established_identity_or_engineering_relation
- Reviewer confidence
- 0.98
- Stated strength
- 1.00
- Lag
- not stated
- Version
- curated_seed_v1
- Reviewed
- 2026-09-07
Confidence and strength are curated judgements recorded with the edge, not measured quantities.
Electricity system requires input Transmission and distribution grid3 evidenceEstablished relation
Electricity system depends on Transmission and distribution grid.
Mechanism
Electricity is generated in one place and used in another. Delivering it to homes and industry physically requires transmission lines, substations and distribution networks; access statistics count connections to that network.
Evidence
- documentIEA, Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions (2023)iea.orgGrid expansion, connection queues and transformer and cable supply chains.checked 2026-09-07
- documentEIA, Electricity explained: how electricity is delivered to consumerseia.govTransmission at high voltage, step-up and step-down transformers, distribution.checked 2026-09-07
- metricelectricity-accessShare of population with a grid connection.
- Status
- established_identity_or_engineering_relation
- Reviewer confidence
- 0.99
- Stated strength
- 1.00
- Lag
- not stated
- Version
- curated_seed_v1
- Reviewed
- 2026-09-07
Confidence and strength are curated judgements recorded with the edge, not measured quantities.
Inputs it cannot do without
Upstream: what it depends on
Transmission and distribution grid requires input Power transformer2 evidenceEstablished relation
Transmission and distribution grid depends on Power transformer.
Mechanism
Power is transmitted at high voltage to limit losses and stepped down for distribution. Every generator connection, substation and distribution feeder passes through transformers, so grid expansion and interconnection queues move with transformer supply and lead times.
Evidence
- documentIEA, Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions (2023)iea.orgGrid expansion, connection queues and transformer and cable supply chains.checked 2026-09-07
- documentEIA, Electricity explained: how electricity is delivered to consumerseia.govTransmission at high voltage, step-up and step-down transformers, distribution.checked 2026-09-07
- Status
- established_identity_or_engineering_relation
- Reviewer confidence
- 0.99
- Stated strength
- 1.00
- Lag
- not stated
- Version
- curated_seed_v1
- Reviewed
- 2026-09-07
Confidence and strength are curated judgements recorded with the edge, not measured quantities.
Measured, from the catalog
Linked metrics
indicates WLD
91.93percent of populationperiod 2024
Named on the edges that depend on it
Substitutes
No substitute is named for this entity on any stored edge.
Derived from curated edges
Bottleneck centrality
- Score
- 6.70
- Downstream entities
- 8
- Direct dependents
- 2
Sum over every entity downstream (within six hops) of the strongest path weight to it, where each edge weighs its stated strength divided by one plus its named substitutes. A graph statistic over curated edges, not an observation. Computed 2026-09-07 22:42 UTC.
Curated paths this entity is part of
Chains
Names that resolve to this node
Aliases
- T&D network
- electric grid
- grid
- power grid
- transmission and distribution
slug power-grid, updated 2026-09-07 22:42 UTC