Traveling the Power Line

Julianne Couch is an independent journalist and essayist. She is the author of Jukeboxes and Jackalopes: A Wyoming Bar Journey and Waking Up Western: Collected Essays.

"In this smart, highly engaging energy travelogue, Julianne Couch offers readers a clear, inside look at the many ways electrical power is produced across the United States. Traveling the Power Line is an indispensable guide to both current practices in energy technology and future possibilities for renewable resources."—Ann McCutchan, author of River Music: An Atchafalaya Story "Julianne Couch has a knack for disarming the wonkiest engineers and discovering the intrigue in cooling rods and 'geothermal brine.' Her travels along the power line are entertaining, but her book is more than that. From here we can start making smarter, kinder, more realistic and responsible decisions about our energy future."—Bill Bishop and Julie Ardery, coeditors of The Daily Yonder "If you're looking for a complete analysis of the world's energy problems, look elsewhere (but expect a mind-numbing, 1,000-page, multivolume set). But if you want a crisp, engaging, and insightful tour of the world of energy production, this is your book."—Jeffrey A. Lockwood, coauthor of Philosophical Foundations for the Practices of Ecology "In a book that is part travelogue and part news report, Couch lucidly confronts the specter of what she calls the 'new energy crisis.' . . . Couch does not offer any opinions on which fuels are ultimately best for an energy-hungry America. Instead, she presents information clearly and objectively to help readers better discern 'the difference between numbers meant to impress, stories meant to persuade, and facts that prompt action.' Fair, thoughtful and balanced."—Kirkus "In clear and straightforward terms, Couch demystifies the science and takes an equitable and even-handed approach to the politics involved in energy production. The result is an accessible primer and essential guide to crucial issues surrounding critical challenges."—Carol Haggas, Booklist starred review  "This lucid guide gently encourages readers to think about what goes into creating the electric grid."-Sandy Amazeen, Monsters and Critics

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Of Megawatts and Meadowlarks: A Wyoming Wind Farm2. Angels and Monsters: A Wyoming Coal-Fired Power Plant3. Fission and Fishing: A Nebraska Nuclear Power Plant4. Solids, Liquids, and Gases: A Texas Gas Field5. Homegrown Revolution: An Iowa Biomass Research Facility6. Journey a Little Way into the Earth: A Utah Geothermal Plant7. Water, Water, Everywhere: A Kentucky Hydropower Plant8. Don't Let the Sun Go Down . . . without Capturing Its Energy: A Nevada Solar-Thermal Power Plant9. Harnessing the Moon: A Maine Tidal Power ProjectAfterwordA Note on Sources