Don't let 'dumb' bring grid down

If you go by the old saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, you have to conclude that the same is true of our power grids. How reliable our electricity supplies are depends, ultimately, on where the greatest weaknesses in the system lie.

One weakness we’re getting a reminder of now, with strong winter storms in the US hitting New England and the Midwest, is the oh-so-vulnerable overhead power line. While stringing power lines from poles rather than burying them underground is considerably cheaper upfront, overhead lines are about as sturdy as a house of cards during hurricanes, blizzards and ice storms.

Up till now, the utility company’s defense has been that power failures are far easier and quicker to fix when lines are overhead. But that defense won’t work once grids are made truly smart: with intelligent technology deployed on devices across the energy network, problems will be easier to pinpoint no matter where power lines are located. Better still, a smart grid will enable energy companies to identify potential trouble spots before they become serious.

Here’s hoping that more utilities recognise this and make it a priority to bury more of their power lines while at the same time smartening up their grids. It would be a shame if our smart energy infrastructure of tomorrow could still be felled by a dumb, snow-heavy tree branch or a blast of wind.