Last week, a powerful “derecho” storm hammered the mid-Atlantic region, snuffing out power during the peak of a sweltering heat wave for nearly a week in some homes. Days later, our science correspondent Miles O’Brien traveled to Austin, Tex. to look at a neighborhood that operates on a smart grid. That means it’s much less prone to losing power – and A.C. – during a mass outage.

The neighborhood, with its 300 homeowners, is built on the site of the old Mueller airport near Austin. It is part of the Pecan Street project – a four-year-old non profit with a goal of deploying smart-grid technology.

via The View from the Volt: Miles Risks Safety While Talking Smart Power | PBS NewsHour.

Related posts:

1. Not All Smart Grids are Green Grids — EDF Innovation Exchange Blog
2. Austin Seeks a New Blueprint for Power Utilities – NYTimes.com
3. New smart gas meters certified for safety
4. Austin’s Pecan Street, a Smart Grid ‘City Bloc,’ Adds PV Solar and EVs during Phase Two
5. Utility Companies To Reward Energy-Saving Customers With Airline Miles