What Gets Hardened? And How?

Let’s go system by system:

1. Power Lines

• Problem: Traditional lines can snap in high winds, sag and spark during heatwaves, or cause fires if they come in contact with trees.
  
• Hardening Strategies:
  
• Thicker, insulated cables to reduce risk of arcing or breakage
  
• Undergrounding lines in fire-prone or storm-prone areas (though costly)
  
• Low-sag advanced conductors that handle more power and resist stretching in high heat
  

2. Utility Poles

• Problem: Wooden poles can rot, burn, or snap under pressure.
  
• Hardening Strategies:
  
• Use of steel, concrete, or composite poles
  
• Reinforced foundations to withstand floods or seismic movement
  
• Bracing or guy wires in areas with high winds or heavy ice
  

3. Substations

• Problem: Substations are critical nodes, and they’re often vulnerable to flooding or wildfires.
  
• Hardening Strategies:
  
• Flood barriers or elevation (building them on raised platforms)
  
• Fireproof fencing and clear vegetation zones
  
• Remote monitoring and sectionalization, so damage can be isolated
  

4. Control Centers and Facilities

• Problem: These are the brains of the grid — if they go down, nothing works.
  
• Hardening Strategies:
  
• Seismic retrofitting in earthquake zones
  
• Redundant power supplies (like batteries or generators)
  
• Cyber-hardening of communication/control systems