This reveals another curious thing about our grid: though it may be big, it is also intensely local. For example, right now, variable generation is producing only a tiny portion of the electricity used in this country, about 7 percent overall. But in some places this number is much higher. In Texas, wind power alone accounts for 9 percent of electricity production, in Oregon it’s almost 13 percent, and in Iowa it’s a stunning 30 percent.
