Atmospheric & Space Technology Research Associates has built an information system as part of a National Science Foundation-backed project that aims to increase the resiliency of power grid infrastructure to the effects of space weather.
ASTRA worked with the Electric Power Research Institute, Univesity of Calfornia at Los Angeles and Georgia Institute of Technology to design and develop the system for the Convergence Hub for the Exploration of Space Science initiative, the company said Wednesday.
The CHESS platform is designed to help space and data scientists, geophysicists and utility operators to determine potential courses of action to protect the country's grid system from space weather events.
"CHESS is like Google Maps with predictive intelligence for the power grid, putting the power of awareness and prediction into the hands of those who need to keep the lights on for society," said Ryan McGranaghan, principal data scientist at ASTRA and CHESS principal investigator.
The team plans to roll out the platform and share ideas with North America-based power utilities,