Electricity grid

Understand how the electricity grid moves power, balances supply and demand, and supports reliable energy delivery.

What is curtailment? Why energy sometimes go to waste

Curtailment concept image showing a table full of food and drinks after a party, symbolizing available energy supply that cannot be fully used or absorbed by the system.

Curtailment may sound harmless, but in the energy world it’s a serious headache. When the grid can’t absorb all the electricity being generated, especially from wind and solar, operators are forced to reduce output. Here’s what curtailment means, why it happens, what it costs, and how smarter grids could reduce it.