The frequency and severity of disruptive weather events continue to rise and so does the pressure on utilities to harden their grid infrastructure. While system resiliency has jumped to the top of the strategic priority list for electric and telecommunications companies, wood pole structural resiliency, one of the foundational components of grid infrastructure, often is overlooked.  When wood poles fail during a weather event (extreme or sporadic), more outages occur, and it takes longer and costs more to restore service. Retaining or upgrading structural resiliency reduces pole failures in major weather events, lowering the time and cost of service restoration. Ensuring structural resiliency requires ongoing vigilance. This discussion introduces the targeted approaches utilities are taking to tackle the challenge.  In this session, a distribution utility representative along with  a wood infrastructure portfolio director from Osmose will discuss current approaches to hardening overhead lines to improve structural resiliency. They will discuss the latest proven approaches for proactively hardening overhead grid infrastructure, including innovated modeling methods and technology, methods for strengthening existing structures, and strategic ways to replace key structures with new, stronger structures. You’ll learn how a number of utilities are currently managing resiliency as an ongoing process rather than a reactive event.

Session Chair:

Sheryl Osiene-Riggs
President & CEO
Utilities Technology Council