Winters can be harsh in Potsdam, N.Y. Located near the Canadian border, the town averages 66 inches of snow per year — and spends nearly three months blanketed in an inch or more of the white stuff. The average temperature in January and February: 19 degrees.

That sort of winter weather can wreak havoc on utility lines and other pieces of above-ground power infrastructure, putting lives at risk. To mitigate those dangers, city officials, General Electric and the Department of Energy are studying how an old-school energy concept and the Internet of Everything can work together to keep the lights (and heat) on.

Read more at Wired.com