The Sun Shines, and the Wires Hum: Are Smart Grids Accessible to Uzbekistan?
When the ancient Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus sat by the riverbank, scraping an amber stone against wool, he could not have known he was toying with what would later become known as electricity — a force capable of generating billions of talents. Or rather, dollars and euros. Today, the world’s largest electricity suppliers will never complain about empty pockets. The French energy giant EDF Group earns up to 140 billion euros in net profit annually, while its closest competitor, Engie, makes around 94 billion.
However, there is one important caveat. The entire business of EDF Group hinges on 58 reactors. Of course, fanatical engineers call nuclear energy clean, cheap, and accessible, but there is still a place on the border between Ukraine and Belarus where radiation hums under a sarcophagus. The whole planet remembers that. In 2024, the population of Kazakhstan voted with little enthusiasm in a referendum for the construction of a new nuclear power plant on Lake Balkhash. The project was approved, although eco-activists are certain that the final vote percentage may differ from the official one.
The key question is: can truly clean energy sources be competitive in the market? Absolutely! For example, the American corporation NextEra Energy makes up to 18 billion dollars a year by selling electricity generated from wind and solar power. The aforementioned Engie is actively investing in the construction of solar panels and wind turbines because it sees great potential in them. Undoubtedly, an energy grid relying on a thousand power sources is far more complex than one where a single cable stretches from one station. However, technology is already rushing to assist humanity.
Smart Grids are the future that can no longer be stopped. This system is capable of adapting to external conditions in real-time, redistributing load, reducing losses, and efficiently using renewable energy sources (RES). In the classical power supply model, energy flows in one direction — from the generator to the consumer. If there is an overload at one substation, it cannot be quickly alleviated by the neighboring one, leading to power outages. Smart Grids solve this problem using digital technologies. The system is based on sensors, software control, and artificial intelligence.
One of the main advantages of Smart Grids is the integration of RES. The wind can blow unevenly, the sun can hide behind clouds, but the system predicts weather changes in advance and compensates for them by engaging reserve power or redistributing the load. Moreover, Smart Grids allow consumers to participate in energy management. In some countries, users can already sell excess electricity generated by home solar panels back to the grid. Electric vehicles connected to charging stations can not only charge but also feed some of their stored energy back into the grid during peak consumption times, helping to stabilize the energy system.
Many countries are actively implementing smart grids. In the United States, investments in Smart Grid have exceeded 100 billion dollars; China has invested over 300 billion, and the European Union plans to spend more than 530 billion euros by 2050. The full transition of a region or area to Smart Grid costs anywhere from 500 million to several billion dollars.
But what about Uzbekistan? With so many sunny days, it seems impossible to stay away from the global trend. However, no! In 2023, the country’s GDP was around 102 billion dollars — less than the cost of fully digitizing the world’s power grids. Full-scale implementation of Smart Grid across the country is currently beyond Uzbekistan’s reach, although the government is already allocating funds for individual projects in this sphere. The main thing is to ensure the sun doesn’t set! Everything else will certainly work out.
