Dive Summary:
- Often the biggest problem is quickly repairing an outage is knowing what type of repairs are needed and in what areas.
- The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a nonprofit group, has been working on a new iPad application that would allow ground crews to survey areas for downed power lines.
- EPRI has also started adapting reconnaissance drones used by the U.S. military that will capture an aerial view of the disrupted area, while work on new “mini-helicopters” to get a closer view of the ground is also a possibility.
From the article:
Utility companies are tasked, first and foremost, with maintaining stability in the nation's most basic services, from water and gas systems to the extensive American power grid. Particularly for electricity, this entails a number of challenges ranging from balancing generation and consumption to ensuring that power lines reach everywhere they are needed.
Recently, though, the countless storms that have rocked the country have become the bane of the power industry, sometimes tearing down power lines across entire regions and leaving millions in the dark. In the coming years, however, The New York Times reports that utilities might be able to apply technologies as diverse as consumer electronics and military surveillance to help it face this growing challenge. ...
