Challenges and opportunities: Insights from DISTRIBUTECH 2025

Posted: March 28, 2025

The DISTRIBUTECH 2025 conference provided a comprehensive examination of the dynamic changes within the energy sector. I had the honor of hosting customer panels and meeting with many industry leaders, so I wanted to take this opportunity to summarize my learnings from the event, specifically the key challenges and opportunities in grid management and modernization.

Electrification: A double-edged sword

Electrification is rapidly increasing grid load and demand. By 2050, global power demand is expected to double due to electrification, population growth, and data centers. Utilities must scale renewable energy for peak times, add transmission lines, and integrate solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear sources. Infrastructure upgrades are crucial to meet net-zero goals and ensure reliability with renewables and battery storage.

Grid modernization: The path forward

Integrating renewable energy requires rapid grid transformation, increased storage, and AI-e intelligent control. Utilities should use software to streamline management and boost efficiency.

Modernizing the grid involves regulatory, cultural, and partnership challenges. Enhancing data visibility, load forecasting, planning, and using digital tools for asset optimization will improve grid management.

Insights from the 2024 Election:  Navigating Policy Impacts and Perspectives for the Electric Utility Sector

The 2024 election is poised to bring significant changes to federal and state energy policies, with a particular focus on the electricity grid. A panel session at DISTRIBUTECH 2025 analyzed these anticipated policy changes and their impact on grid modernization, electrification, and the integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). Understanding the potential shifts in policy will be crucial for navigating the evolving energy sector landscape.

^{Karen Wayland, CEO, GridWise Alliance shares her thoughts on the DISTRIBUTECH Election 2024 panel with AVEVA's Kristina Nelligan.}
 

Modernizing the power grid: Addressing complexity

The modernized power grid is increasingly complex due to factors like bidirectional power flow, climate change impacts, integration of renewables, aging infrastructure, and cybersecurity concerns. Experts from ISO/RTO entities discussed priorities for addressing these challenges and explored new opportunities through innovative technologies. The session provided valuable insights into the industry's current state and future direction.

The power of data sharing

Data sharing can significantly improve grid resilience through enhanced collaboration, better network visibility, and more informed decision-making. Here's how data sharing contributes to grid resilience:

• Enhanced collaboration and network visibility
  Connected ecosystems enable better collaboration and network visibility, which is essential for long-term grid planning. Sharing operational information increases the transparency and coordination of diverse resources, including distributed energy resources (DERs), which optimizes investments and improves efficiency. The ability to exchange clean, validated, cyber-secure data with all stakeholders is critical.

• Informed decision-making and operational efficiency
  Utilities need access to dependable data to provide instant insights and analytics for grid operation and load planning, which reduces the carbon footprint, enhances reliability, and offers cost-effective, customer-focused services. Sharing data enables better anticipation of when and where DERs like rooftop solar and electric vehicle charging stations will impact the grid, preventing overloads and ensuring stability.
  
  
• Improved forecasting and planning
  Collaborative platforms for data sharing and analysis among utilities and stakeholders are essential for integrating renewable energy sources and managing their variability. By aggregating weather and operations data, demand patterns, future renewable prediction models, and social and economic impacts, utilities can apply analytics for better, more accurate forecasting and compare scenarios for short- and long-term planning.
  
  
• Climate Change Mitigation
  Sharing data, including historical data analysis, can enable teams to better understand situations and improve weather forecasting, wildfire mitigation, risk assessment, and modeling. Overall, data sharing fosters a more collaborative and informed environment, enabling utilities to optimize grid operations, enhance resilience, and facilitate the transition to a more sustainable energy landscape.

Case study: San Diego Gas & Electric's digital twin technology

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is revolutionizing utility grid management by integrating digital twin technology, time-series data, and machine learning. The traditional reactive approach to grid maintenance is being replaced by a predictive one, where equipment failures are predicted to allow for timely replacements. Digital twins, or virtual replicas of physical assets, are used for real-time monitoring, analysis, and prediction, leading to improved efficiency, reduced costs, and a more resilient grid. Ultimately, SDG&E aims to optimize operations, improve crew scheduling, and minimize damage through this innovative approach to grid modernization.

In conclusion, DISTRIBUTECH 2025 highlighted the critical challenges and exciting opportunities in the energy sector. As we move forward, continuous innovation, collaboration, and data sharing will be essential for building a resilient, efficient, and sustainable grid.

AVEVA brought together electric utility executives from across the Americas to discuss the future of the grid. Read the key takeaways in the event summary.