# How Commuter Trains Are Stabilizing the Grid



## dedlast (Aug 17, 2013)

I'm not completely sure, but I think the electric buses in Seattle do the same thing. I know the old trolleys did in the past.

Bill


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## PhantomPholly (Aug 20, 2008)

And if we add up all the kilowatts of all the trains using regeneration to put power back in the grid, the total impact on our power consumption will be.... so little as to be missed in the noise.


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## PStechPaul (May 1, 2012)

Sometimes coal trains dump their regen into huge heaters on top of the engines when they are braking on long descents, such as through Harper's Ferry enroute from Big Coal Country (WV,KY) to coal power plants along the Potomac in MD and DC. It would be great if they could erect some power lines along this section of track to dump all that energy into the grid, and they could use the same line to extract energy for the climb going back west (which is less because they are empty).





 
This is pretty cool:





 
And how they are made:


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