4.29.19 - UAlbany system to predict strong winds, power outages
'Power blackouts across New York might end a bit quicker one day under an experimental wind prediction system being set up at the University at Albany. Set to begin testing this summer, the system will rely on a state network of weather stations and a laser imaging system that could help the state's largest utility, Consolidated Edison, to better predict strong winds that could damage power lines.'
'The system is expected to predict winds up to two days in advance, down to an area of one kilometer (which is about six-tenths of a mile). It will use machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence, to analyze real-time weather data from UAlbany's New York State Mesonet, a statewide network of 126 weather stations.'
'Mike Berlinger, a meteorologist with Con Ed, said outages cost the utility millions of dollars a year." We pitched the idea to UAlbany to create a solution that can help us better forecast wind-related outages. If (this) is successful, our thinking is to potentially extrapolate this idea to other forecasted variables in the future."'