Featured Highlights

Since there’s been so much talk about emergency cellphone alerts lately, this NY Times article is interesting.  In South Korea, notifications from local and regional governments are [...]

Are underground power lines the solution for preventing forest fires?  According to Councilman Bob Whalen of Laguna Beach, CA, the answer is a definitive “yes.” Mr. Whalen’s sentiment is [...]

Weather-related emergencies in the utility industry are a fact of life, and the perception of utility response to these emergencies can be enhanced by positive local news coverage.  It does not [...]

It might seem like something straight out of a sci fi movie, but augmented reality is real, and it has the potential to improve the process of responding to outages.  Simply put, augmented [...]

The massive wildfires that plagued California in 2017 have prompted a reconsideration of the state’s vegetation management regulations.  Forest fires are a major problem out west, one that is [...]

Whenever I talk about emerging water utility trends, I sometimes get a strange feeling that eyes are rolling.  This is likely because, to many outside observers, the water utility industry is [...]

Now that 2017 is behind us, it’s time to look forward to that brave new world that is 2018!  But before we leave 2017 in the dust, I thought it would be helpful to publish one more blog post [...]

I certainly did not see this coming.  Earthquake activity is expected to rise in 2018 thanks to a slowdown in the rotation of the Earth.  Are you kidding me?  We already have to worry about such [...]

Wave power is yet another form of renewable energy that can help improve electric grid reliability.  Although this energy source has been around for years, other clean energy sources like solar [...]

This is scary.  The Orville Dam Spillway has apparently developed hairline cracks in certain sections, yet state officials say there is no need to worry.  I don’t know about you, but in my [...]