Smarter Tools, Safer Crews: How New Grid Tech Is Changing Life in the Field

Utilities everywhere are under pressure to boost reliability, restore faster, and keep crews safe in increasingly unpredictable conditions. That pressure is accelerating the shift toward smart grid technologies. In the latest T&D World Line Life Podcast Chat, S&C’s Lea Maurer breaks down how that shift is showing up for the crews doing the work.

“When crews get hands-on time with the tech, they get more comfortable—and more confident.”

Adoption Starts with Exposure

Maurer shares that the first question she often hears when training crews on smart technology is: How do I turn it off? The question is critical from a safety standpoint, but also means crews want to understand the tech.

“When crews get hands-on time with the tech, they get more comfortable—and more confident,” she said.

Familiar behaviors, like the VacuFuse® II Self-Resetting Interrupter or TripSaver® II Cutout-Mounted Recloser installing much like a fuse they already know, makes the transition feel intuitive. Adoption isn’t about convincing—it’s about showing, she noted.

Simplifying Tough Jobs

Underground residential distribution outages are some of the most time‑consuming, labor‑intensive challenges crews face. The podcast digs into a field scenario and how a tool like the EdgeRestore® Underground Distribution Restoration System can bring efficiencies. The EdgeRestore system automatically isolates faults on underground residential distribution circuits and reroutes power in under a minute to keep customers connected. That’s fewer hours pulling elbows, less time in yards, and quicker paths to addressing the fault for crews.

Safety Engineered at the Forefront

Maurer also discusses how crew protection influences the design of the latest innovations. For example, S&C has introduced delayed close sequencing into overhead lateral fault management devices.

“These aren’t incremental upgrades,” Maurer said. “They’re meaningful changes that reshape how crews work for the better.”

Hear the Full Conversation

For Maurer’s field stories, examples, and insights into how crews are adapting, visit Line Life to listen to the full chat: “Smarter, Safer, Stronger: How Smart Technologies Are Empowering Power Line Crews”.