Exploring Smart Solutions

Exploring Smart Solutions highlights the City of Marietta’s forward-thinking approach to public service and community development. This page showcases how Marietta is exploring innovative ideas and emerging projects to deliver smarter, more connected services. Discover how Marietta is planning for tomorrow.

Meeting Growing Energy Needs With Smart Grid Technology

Marietta Power is investing in smart grid technology to make our electric system stronger, faster, and more reliable for the community we serve. At the center of this effort is a Fault Detection, Isolation, and Restoration (FDIR) system, an advanced, self-healing network that can detect issues, isolate outages, and restore power automatically. Once fully implemented, this system is expected to reduce outage minutes by more than 50% and improve service for approximately 42,000 customers.

This innovation will also enhance safety by quickly de-energizing damaged lines, reduce the number of affected customersuntitled_947 by isolating faults to smaller areas, and help crews locate issues faster to restore service more efficiently. It also allows the system to reroute power and balance loads intelligently, improving overall grid performance. To support this smart infrastructure, Marietta Power has installed more than 120 miles of fiber optic cable, connecting over 50 devices for real-time communication across the network. With support from the U.S. Department of Energy, the full system is on track for deployment within four years.

This project is also preparing us for the future. As severe weather events become more frequent, a resilient grid will help protect service continuity. As part of this initiative, Marietta Power is creating hands-on learning opportunities for local students to explore emerging technologies and build workforce-ready skills.

FDIR is one component of a broader outage-reduction strategy that also includes infrared scans, animal protection measures, comprehensive tree trimming, pole inspections, and other coordinated efforts. Together, these improvements will enhance the reliability and efficiency of Marietta Power's electric system, providing better service to our customers and ensuring the safety of both our workers and the public. With continued innovation, Marietta Power is laying the foundation for expanded smart grid technologies to better serve our community with a reliable, modern energy system.

More smart solutions are being explored... stay tuned!