[Article] Enabling the Future: How Fiber Is Powering a Smarter and Stronger Grid
In a recent issue of NRECA’s RE Magazine, Seán Adam explores how fiber enables grid modernization, helping electric co-ops build smarter, stronger and more resilient networks for the future.
In the September issue of NRECA’s RE Magazine, AFL's Seán Adam, VP of Corporte Strategy, shared sponsored content titled "Enabling the Future: How Fiber Is Powering a Smarter and Stronger Grid." This article highlights how electric cooperatives are facing unprecedented challenges: surging energy demand, aging infrastructure, extreme weather, and the integration of renewable resources.
To address these pressures, co-ops are investing in fiber optic networks, which are the backbone of a modern smart grid. Fiber enables two-way, high-speed communication between substations, field devices, and control centers, driving greater reliability, efficiency, and resiliency.
He also explores practical solutions such as OPGW, ADSS, microcables and flexible ribbon fiber, as well as the importance of a complete fiber ecosystem. By deploying these technologies, co-ops are modernizing today’s grid while preparing for the demands of tomorrow.