tier of transformers before disemboguing onto diverging AC lines to be dispersed across the vicinity. Ideally, Path 27 can work in the opposite direction, with the Adelanto terminal becoming a rectifier, and the IPP an inverter, although this seldom happens out of practicality. Grounding system Like any HVDC scheme, Path 27 needs to be grounded at both ends in order to operate with respect to the earth. Grounding provides the electrical current a common path back into the earth, which serves as a neutral point for the circuit. Even with safeguards and a substantive fault tolerance, failures on the line can and do occur, thence grounding becomes a workaround for continued reliability of the system. If one pole develops a fault, its current is diverted via the ground return to complete the circuit. This de-energizes the problem conductor, while the second pole remains active; in technical terms, grounding allows the power line to function as a monopole instead of a bipole. However, it halves the line's overall capacity. A pole may also be taken offline by the same means for maintenance, ensuring the safety of work crews. This contingency precludes the need to shut down the whole HVDC system and interrupt the power source, yet it is temporary, as the earth return on a bipolar system is not intended for prolonged use. HVDC exhibits significant potential such that the converter's onsite grounding devices are not enough to withstand alone, and a return current would otherwise cause issues at the electrical facility including rapid metal corrosion, so the grounding nodes are set at remote locations. On Path 27, the IPP converter's grounding point is situated about southwest of the valves (here), while the Adelanto converter's lies about to the northeast (here) on the edge of a playa known as Coyote Lake. These spots were chosen in part for high conductivity within the earthen minerals. Each node covers an area of approximately . At each grounding point is an array of buried conductive rods that form an electrode, marking the actual transition into the earth for the current. Within the electrodes are 60 rods arranged in a circular rim about in diameter and spaced evenly for the best result. Each rod is placed vertically to reach subterranean layers with the least resistivity possible: IPP's electrode rods are deep, and Adelanto's extend downward. The rods are individually encased in a perforated-metal tube, or