Peter – Page 2 – Peter Watson, PhD

The Effects of Tree Trimming on Power Reliability in Storms of Different Strengths

We just got a new article published in a special issue of Sustainability. It uses statistical methods to quantify the effects of Enhanced Tree Trimming (a rigorous tree trimming standard being used by Eversource), differentiating between storms of different intensities. We show that this type of tree trimming is able to reduce power outages during all types of storms, but the effects diminish somewhat for strong storms: which can cause much more severe damage like downed trees.

Tree Canopy Cover in Connecticut (Image by Will O’Taylor)

We’re hoping that with these results, utilities and regulators will be better able to prioritize measures to make the power grid more reliable, and help prepare for an increasingly uncertain climate. Check it out here. Check out the full text of the article here.

AGU 2021 Fall Meeting

The AGU 2021 Fall meeting just wrapped up in New Orleans, and it was quite interesting to be there. It was a ‘hybrid’ conference with both in-person and online elements. It was a great chance to present our work in-person and online, and connect with other people in the field.

Jackson Square, New Orleans

Check out the video below of what we presented. It describes the process of developing a machine learning-based weather-related power outage prediction model specifically for high impact storms. These storms are generally difficult to get right because they’re so rare and diverse, but our model seems to be able to understand the pertinent processes well enough to accurately predict the impacts of the biggest storms that have affected the Northeastern US in the past decade.

Extreme Weather Event Outage Prediction Presentation