Dr. Massoud Amin, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Technological Leadership Institute at the U of M, was both entertaining and enlightening about a very serious topic—the expanding demands on our electric grid and an aging infrastructure that can’t be expected to cope. He reminded us that even little devices, like our smart phones, depend on a vast network of electricity-dependent hardware and software.

Change calls for the current model—centralized power with a vast delivery network—to give way to decentralized sources and storage monitored and controlled by intelligent sensors that can detect threats, head them off, and “self-heal” the critical delivery of power.

Although an outline of his talk couldn’t possibly recreate the delightful humor that went with his explanations, Dr. Amin’s excellent slides will help in understanding the seriousness of the paradigm shift that will be necessary. UMRA volunteers have posted Dr. Amin’s slides on our website for your review at  https://umra.umn.edu/about-us/archive.