We definitely do, we just don't want to pay to string up wire thousands of miles, let alone superconducting wire. The difference between keeping 98% of the power that goes through a wire, or 100%, isn't the reason we don't do it. To quantify it further, the current US grid loses 5% to transmission losses which is just less than a cent per kWh.

Most power is generated in a centralized way anyways because it's much more efficient that way. The 'dregs' aren't connected because putting up the wire costs far more than the extra power yields. A few percentage points more efficient won't change the economics, especially if the wire is (a) lead and (b) dramatically more expensive.

3.5% per 1000km is respectfully, basically nothing. You'd get 85% of the power out of a line from SF to NY.

I'm not saying there aren't use cases for room temperature superconductors, I'm saying this is not one that's going to be top of the list.

> 3.5% per 1000km is respectfully, basically nothing. You'd get 85% of the power out of a line from SF to NY.

But why connect SF to NY - what's the advantage? What about connecting a place where it's midnight with a place where it's noon? That'd allow you to use solar arrays instead of local coal/gas/nuclear power plants.

I think you're missing the point of why we make power grids instead of simply having city local generators or stations.

The whole purpose of interconnecting power generation sources is to be able to accommodate for dynamic demand and ensure resiliency.

AC Power networks are sort of similar to how the internet works. The high voltage transmission lines are like the transit lines or "backbone" of the internet.

Those lines connect power stations which are sort of like ISPs in that they deliver the last mile power to the end user.

Our modern society basically instantly stops the second we are unable to meet demand for electricity, so we design these systems in a way where redundancy is supposed to be ensured.

This isn't always the case though. Texas is a great example of a completely messed up electrical grid that is insufficient to support its populous. It causes deaths in heatwaves and freezes almost every year now.