Amid ever increasing demand for electricity, artificial intelligence (AI) is now being used to help prevent power cuts.
The fragility of power grids was revealed in February 2021 when a winter storm hit Texas, causing widespread power outages. The storm led to equipment failures at natural gas and coal power plants, wind turbines froze over, and a nuclear reactor had to be taken offline as a precaution. Over 4.5 million homes and businesses lost power for hours and even days.
As demand for electricity increases around the world, countries are moving towards renewable sources of energy, which are more variable in the amount of energy they generate. This can lead to power outages when the wind doesn’t blow, and the sun doesn’t shine.
AI is being used to make energy systems more resilient. One approach is to add huge batteries to the grid that can charge up when there is spare electricity and release it later when needed. However, for these batteries to be useful, they need to know the best time to charge and discharge, which requires complex predictions about electricity demand.
Companies like WattTime and Electricity Maps are using AI to predict electricity supply and demand. This information can be used to tell batteries when to charge and discharge, and can also help people use mains electricity more cheaply.
AI is also being used to protect the physical infrastructure that carries electricity to our homes. Companies like Buzz Solutions use AI to scan through imagery of electricity cables, pylons, and substations, identifying signs of damage and potential risks.
By using AI to predict electricity demand and protect the physical infrastructure, we can make energy systems more resilient and prevent future power cuts.