N.Y. Utility to Create AI System That Foresees Outages

NYSEG, an electric and gas utility that serves areas of the Capital Region not served by National Grid, is developing a new computer-based outage prediction system that will use artificial intelligence. New York State Electric & Gas says it is developing what it is calling an "outage prediction model," essentially a software program that will use machine learning or artificial intelligence -- AI -- to predict outages during storm events. NYSEG and its parent company, Avangrid, along with its sister utility, RG&E, short for Rochester Gas & Electric, are working with researchers at the University at Albany and the University of Connecticut on developing the AI system. The system will use AI to analyze weather forecasts to predict -- or guess -- which parts of the electrical grid will be hit hardest by storms. That way the utility can prepare to deploy resources to those areas in advance.