Non - critical U.S. power outages up 124 percent since early ' 90s . U.S. electricity reliability improved compared to some nations . Triple-digit temperatures forced residents like 77 year-old Rui Zhi Chen , to seek shelter at one of the city 's 400 emergency cooling centers . Experts : ` ` Smart grid '' can avert disasters , save billions . Austin ` ` Easy Button '' reaches tens of thousands of Texas residents .
Non - critical U.S. power outages up 124 percent since early ' 90s . U.S. electricity reliability improved compared to some nations . Experts : ` ` Smart grid '' can avert disasters , save billions . Austin ` ` Easy Button '' reaches tens of thousands of Texas residents .