Across the world, aging infrastructure
and the increasing penetration of distributed energy resources are testing critical human infrastructure. New events continue to emerge that challenge the human ability to adapt and expose infrastructure vulnerabilities at an alarming rate. This tests existing grid resilience. Climate change has also driven significant fluctuations in weather and raises the pressure on these aging systems. Today, utilities, municipalities, and engineers are actively embracing data and using it to identify and root out the most significant vulnerabilities while simultaneously strengthening assets that make them more cost- efficient and sustainable.

What is critical human infrastructure?

It is generally understood that these infrastructures are facilities and services essential to society's operations at large. Although the critical infrastructures defined by each nation vary depending on areas of the world and their associated risks inherent to their country, many would include water, energy, food, telecommunications, transport and healthcare.

With great excitement, the Edison Awards announces a new category this year, "Critical Human Infrastructure, Water, Energy & Telecommunications."

Development of the modern electric grid was begun shortly after Thomas Edison successfully harnessed the power of electricity in the late 1800's with the creation of the first practical electric incandescent lamp. Infrastructures that integrate essential societal needs for energy, water, communications, and safety improve the quality of life worldwide, spur economic growth, and drive towards a more sustainable future. This category includes products, services, and infrastructures that enhance lives today and prepare for a more resilient, secure tomorrow.

These challenges will increasingly require integrated technology solutions that enable networks to talk with each other, share data, and give utility leaders actionable information about their systems' health and resilience. Technologies continue to emerge that offer new levels of communications and IT/operational technology (IoT). Convergence with hardware and software innovations provides utilities with more profound levels of insight while preparing them to meet the challenges of distributed generation head-on: ultimately delivering smarter, faster, and more resilient distribution networks.

Start your nomination for the 2021 Edison Awards for this category, or any of the other 14 unique categories covering all innovations released in the last year.