Google Earth Used To Predict Electrical Problems

coondoggie writes "What do you get when you combine images from Google Earth and the brainpower from researchers at Oak Ridge National Labs? Well in this case you get a tool that enables real-time status of the national electric grid that federal state and local agencies can use to coordinate and respond to major problems such as wide-area power outages, natural disasters and other catastrophic events. The Visualizing Energy Resources Dynamically on Earth (VERDE) system, announced this week, mashes together images and stats of everything from real-time status of the electric grid and weather information to power grid behavior modeling and simulation."

I predict...

[gardyloo]

...that posting such a story will inspire lots of slashdotters to go download or access Google Earth, and cause electrical problems.

Next project?

[VoltageX]

Managing Energy Resources Dynamically on Earth (MERDE).

Oui oui!

Re:I predict...

[davester666]

that Google Earth will be declared a threat to Homeland Security, and taken offline. :-(

Re:I am skeptical...

[cencithomas]

I believe you can get more up-to-date information by purchasing Google Earth Plus or Google Earth Pro. Not positive though and the comparison page [google.com] doesn't seem to specify.

...in retrospect, this comment is not nearly as helpful as I'd hoped.

Re:HUH???

[powermacx]

Do you *want* realtime Google Earth?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPgV6-gnQaE [youtube.com]

;-)

Google Used To...

[Anonymous Coward]

Google Earth Used To Predict Electrical Problems

Too bad they don't anymore!

How do I view it without electricity?

[Xoc-S]

If there is a power outage, how am I going to fire up my desktop machine and view Google Earth?

Re:simple google

[jaminJay]

Now if Google was doing a real time status program I would have it sit on my screen all day.

That way, when the screen goes black, you'd know the power went out?

too late

[Digitus1337]

The LHC goes online in just under a day; Google Earth is going to be obsolete, so how is this newsworthy?

Anyone else misread the title as

[Anonymous Coward]

Google Earth Used To Predict Electoral Problems?

And I'm not even American...

Re:too late

[Anonymous Coward]

The LHC goes online in just under a day; Google Earth is going to be obsolete

Google Earth is an interactive map & the LHC is a particle accelerator. Frankly, I don't see wtf one has to do with the other (or how one could obsolete the other)...

*whoosh*

Re:simple google

[SimonGhent]

That way, when the screen goes black, you'd know the power went out?

Or that the sun went down. There's just no way to tell.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Next project?

[aproposofwhat]

Something Happening In The Electrics (SHITE)

Links, video, and a follow-up program?

[martyb]

Here's a bit more detail from the ORNL web site: http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/v40_3_07/article13.shtml [ornl.gov] and http://www.ornl.gov/sci/electricdelivery/vis_VERDE.html [ornl.gov] where there are links to: VERDE video (WMV 81.2MB) [ornl.gov] (13m 54s)

In the first-listed link above, I found this:

"Major power outages in the United States over the past decade have a recurring theme--the lack of wide-area situational understanding," says Tom King, manager of electric transmission and distribution technologies for ORNL's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program. (emphasis added)

As a follow-up, I hear they are planning a "Wide-Area Situational Understanding Program", aka WASUP! :)