How Midco is leading the nation in real-time power grid tracking

This paid piece is sponsored by Midco.

There’s more demand on the nation’s power grid than ever – and it’s only going to grow.

With everything from electric vehicles to connected devices scaling up, plus the addition of solar and wind energy, it’s critical to measure, monitor and track the availability and stability of the distribution portion of the power grid.

Except, until recently, there wasn’t a comprehensive way to do it.

That’s where Midco has become a national leader, partnering with Gridmetrics to help supply data about the power grid to create a real-time look at its status.

“We were already monitoring the power grid ourselves as it impacts our ability to provide service, and now we’re providing the information to Gridmetrics so it can be combined with other data nationwide in a visually meaningful way,” Midco chief technology officer Jon Pederson explained.

“We were the first ones to try it, and I like to think we helped influence others to get involved too.”

Before providers like Midco started partnering with Gridmetrics, there was no way to independently monitor the entire power grid or detect the cause and location of an outage. Broadband providers, however, have always been aware of power outages – and know when, where and why they occur before customers and utility companies.

“We can use that outage data to empower the power company to respond faster and in a more efficient manner,” Pederson said.

Essentially, as power companies are able to restore their service, it supports Midco’s ability to restore its service — improving downtime.

Pederson was featured for his expertise and leadership in this video by Gridmetrics:

“The power grid has traditionally been very one-way, but with things like solar and wind technology, it’s now multidirectional, so having a good view of what’s going on is increasingly important,” Pederson said.

That’s especially true during emergencies — everything from severe weather to wildfires.

During the tornadoes that struck Sioux Falls in 2019, “you could see the power supply weakening with the path of the storm,” Pederson said. “Midco can’t do our repairs until the power companies are done with theirs, so this is a way to see exactly what’s going on with the grid. You get that intelligence immediately.”

Gridmetrics also can plot critical resources such as hospitals and long-term care facilities using network data, so management teams can monitor the power situation around their locations, he said.

“And it can help provide a bigger picture for insurance companies to make better claims,” Pederson added.

“Plus, if you’re thinking about buying a home or locating a business somewhere, you’ll be able to get a very good look at the historic reliability of the power grid in that area.”

The public can access Gridmetrics data, plus there are subscription options for additional access.

To properly monitor and manage Midco’s fiber network, each power supply has a special power sensor and battery monitor installed and maintained by its field staff.

You might notice them as larger green boxes you see driving around town – there are more than 4,000 across Midco’s five-state footprint. These sensors constantly send data back to Midco’s Network Operations Center, alerting the team in the event of a power outage or restoration.

Advanced sensors currently being rolled out provide extraordinarily detailed information, including electrical waveform, climate and seismic data, all for less than $100 per sensor.

“It’s quite advanced, next-level data,” Pederson said. “And once you have a lot of them in a city, you’re able to make solid inferences about what’s going on with the power grid. A smarter grid opens up all sorts of possibilities, but it starts with sharing data and innovative thinking like this. We’re proud to help lead that effort.”

To learn more about Midco’s partnership with Gridmetrics, click here.

Seamless TV service awaits with this platform – especially for sports fans