Austin Energy Competition For Power Lines/Trees Project

Power lines versus trees: it's an epic Austin battle. The current solution (hacking 'em back) is less than superb; urban trees are one of the things that makes Austin great, plus they probably help combat the heat island effect (admittedly, we are not scientists).

In hopes of finding a more elegant solution, Austin Energy has opened a competition to colleges and universities to find a better way to integrate power lines in urban areas while protecting trees -- the winning prize is $250,000. The chosen entry must demonstrate system reliability, improved streetscapes and public spaces, effective approaches to other utility systems such as cable, Internet and phone lines, and protection of the "urban forest." The application is available online at www.austinenergy.com/go/competition.

Image from Mark H. Anbinder on Flickr.