ENERGY - New algorithm quickly identifies most dangerous risks in a power grid amid millions or billions of possible failures

Each summer, power grids are pushed to their limits, as homes and offices crank up the air conditioning in response to rising temperatures. A single failure in the system—such as a downed power line or a tripped relay—can cause power outages throughout a neighborhood or across entire towns.

http://phys.org/news/2013-07-algorithm-quickly-dangerous-power-grid.ht