Weather and Reliability

Network-centric infrastructure demands robust systems that can respond automatically and dynamically to natural, accidental and deliberate faults, be they on a local scale, regional or national. The effects of weather, from heat waves and cold fronts to hurricanes and ice storms, on the electrical infrastructure are expected to escalate. The consequent power interruptions are an economic hardship of +100 billion dollars annually on the states affected and pose a significant threat to public safety nationally. The electrical infrastructure is fragile, and as each adverse weather system passes over our critical electrical infrastructure it becomes increasingly difficult to supply energy and restore service in case of disruption. A transformative research initiative will be discussed that will begin to protect and harden our nation's critical electrical infrastructure. This vision would lead to next generation power systems to come into being that are flexible, reliable, and intelligent electrical energy delivery systems. A revolutionary new way of sensing, intelligence gathering, and corrective actions is envisioned. The goal is to provide near uninterruptible service during severe weather events and make feasible monitoring of the critical electrical infrastructure in real time.