communications and advanced sensing technologies [9].
Because of strict application and business requirements,
reliable and online information is the core of the smart grid
infrastructure. To this end, wireless sensor networks (WSNs)
can offer a cost-effective solution for electric power network
monitoring and control instead of traditional wired systems
[8–15]. WSNs bring important advantages over traditional
power systems, including rapid deployment, flexibility, and
aggregated intelligence via parallel processing [16, 17].
However, the realization of smart grid depends on the
communication capabilities of deployed sensor network in
harsh power grid environments, which pose communication
challenges for reliability and energy efficiency in WSNs.
Recent field tests using IEEE 802.15.4-compliant sensor
networks show that wireless links in smart grid have
high packet error rates and variable link capacity because
of electromagnetic interference, equipment noise, dynamic
topology changes, fading, and obstructions [9]. To overcome
varying link conditions in time and space domains,
sensor nodes must be capable of estimating link quality
dynamically and reliably. However, in WSNs, estimating the
instantaneous value of the link quality is challenging due to