Patent ID: 8655499

Claim:
A method for controlling a number of circuits across a boundary in an electrical power grid, the method comprising: monitoring a number of parameters in the number of circuits in the electrical power grid, wherein each circuit in the number of circuits comprises a plurality of nodes in the electrical power grid and a number of lines connected to the plurality of nodes in the electrical power grid, wherein the number of lines is configured to carry electrical power, wherein the plurality of nodes is configured to control the electrical power carried in the number of lines, and wherein a number of agent processes associated with the plurality of nodes is configured to communicate with each other using a communications network, configure the plurality of nodes in the electrical power grid into the each circuit, and control a delivery of the electrical power through the each circuit to a number of loads; receiving information from a number of sensors associated with the plurality of nodes and the number of circuits in the electrical power grid, the number of sensors receiving information from the number of circuits such that the number of sensors and the number of lines cross an organizational boundary, the boundary preventing coordinated power management by the sensors between a first portion of the electrical power grid and a second portion of the electrical power grid separated by the boundary; communicating the information from a first agent process in a first portion of the electrical power grid to a second agent process in the second portion of the electrical power grid; determining whether to make a change to the number of circuits based on the number of parameters and a policy based on the information received from the number of sensors associated with the number of circuits in the electrical power grid; and responsive to a determination to make the change to the number of circuits across the boundary, changing the number of circuits using the policy.