She is a strategic growth leader who is passionate about consulting and connecting utility clients with solutions to their key challenges, particularly around resiliency and infrastructure. Amy Wharton is our Chief Revenue Officer bringing over 20 years of experience in the Energy and Utilities industry, heading Marketing and Business Development for Think Power Solutions. Whether you’re planning a large‑scale grid transformation, updating substation assets, or deploying digital platforms, Think Power Solutions can help you implement modernization that delivers capacity, resilience and value. Utilities are deploying mobile inspection apps, GIS‑enabled field data collection, and remote worker support through augmented reality or generative AI. Digital twin models create virtual replicas of grids or substations, enabling scenario simulation and predictive maintenance.

utility modernization

Studies commissioned by the states of California and New York show that managed https://eurodialogue.org/Turkeys-EU-Memberships-Possible-Impacts-on-the-Balkans electrification could lower the cost of distribution upgrades needed through 2035 by more than US$30 billion in each of these states.18 That’s because building efficiency measures and smart devices to manage energy usage and smooth EV charging could reduce capital spending on new substations, transformers, feeders, and other distribution equipment (figure 4). Unlocking this potential requires advanced digital technologies to enable active management but could deliver cost savings to utilities and customers. Unlike inflexible loads that are driving up peak demand and grid expansion, residential electrification creates a load that could potentially serve itself by 2035 (figure 3). At the intersection of the power, building, and transportation sectors, DER-equipped households also include major home appliances with smart controls, such as home heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and water heaters, and mobile DER such as EVs that owners intermittently plug into their homes.

Enterprise Capabilities Are Being Democratized

Indeed, only 3% of utility workers are currently employed in smart grid operations, but investments stemming from GRIP funding alone could create 178,000 more of these jobs.66 Many utilities plan to collaborate with unions, in addition to community colleges and apprenticeship programs, and career centers (figure 11). They will likely want to see that utilities are leveraging unprecedented federal funding to build resilient DERstribution capabilities. In an interview, Brien Sheahan, former chairperson and chief executive officer of the Illinois Commerce Commission, explained how utilities can do so. To achieve regulatory backing for DERstribution, utilities should make a clear case to regulators for DER-related investments. That is, the technical, operational, and regulatory capabilities should be in place for DERstribution.

Grid modernization for utilities: How to upgrade without disruption Schneider Electric Blog

utility modernization

NLR’s open-source Sienna modeling framework includes a range of capabilities that allow efficient and reproducible data management, programmatic access, and efficient storage and access to support large-scale modeling, validation, and change management. For example, when Think Power Solutions supports large infrastructure projects, we embed digital QA/QC workflows and remote review dashboards to elevate field engineering excellence. Emerging tools for business case regulation are new metrics, effective planning and well-paced spending that can identify needed investments that add value and make the utility accountable, some regulators added. Distribution Planning Suite includes datasets and software tools that cover data analytics, scenario development, simulation engines, and applications for distribution planning and analysis. Over the years, OE has continued investing in the research, development, and demonstration of advanced technologies while also developing new modeling and analytics capabilities that can evolve as technology and policy needs mature.

  • For example, when Think Power Solutions supports large infrastructure projects, we embed digital QA/QC workflows and remote review dashboards to elevate field engineering excellence.
  • America’s economy, national security and even the health and safety of our citizens depend on the reliable delivery of electricity.
  • Successful execution of integrated plans to achieve state targets should include a data-efficient architecture.
  • He also provides clients with strategic planning, business transformation, business model development, systems engineering, systems integration, feasibility planning and analysis, project/program management and customer relationship management.

Many of yesterday’s legacy challenges supported by today’s automation can be solved. Several shifts have occurred, including cost-effective technology advancements, consumer expectations, and regulatory policy. Together, these technologies are expected to reduce system losses by 10 to 15% and decrease outages by as much as 20% while supporting Serbia’s long-term clean energy goals. Modern grids require intelligent systems capable of sensing network conditions, analyzing data, and responding dynamically in real time. Only after utilities gain a clearer understanding of network conditions and operational priorities do large scale physical upgrades become necessary. Attempting to modernize the entire grid at once creates unnecessary operational and financial risk.

PIPES (Pipeline for Integrated Projects in Energy Systems) is a project management, data management, and a workflow management layer for integrated modeling teams. NLR can support utilities in defining and navigating this “handshake” between transmission and distribution. The URDB includes rates for utilities based on the authoritative list of U.S. utility companies maintained by the U.S. The NLR Annual Technology https://www.downloadwasp.com/73259/details-video-drivers-download-utility.html Baseline (ATB) provides a consistent set of technology cost and performance data for energy analysis. Cambium datasets contain modeled hourly data for a range of possible futures of the U.S. electricity sector through 2050, with metrics designed to be useful for forward-looking analysis and decision support. The Hierarchical Engine for Large-scale Infrastructure Co-Simulation (HELICS) is an open-source cyber-physical-energy cosimulation framework for energy systems, with a strong tie to the electric power system.

utility modernization

Written by Think Power Solutions

utility modernization

A consulting principal based in Tampa, Jim has more than 30 years of consulting experience working with global power, utility, and renewable energy clients. Unlike alternative solutions, DER aggregations can lower system costs by leveraging customer capital expenditures and federal funds and relieving pressure on the transmission and distribution grid to deliver power. Residential resources could be key to meeting the electric utility’s core mission to deliver safe, affordable, and reliable power and more expansive remit to advance societal decarbonization, resilience, affordability, and equity goals. GRIP grant requirements include equitable deployment and workforce training for the new workers and new skills that are expected to be needed to operate a more digital and distributed grid.

Industry outlooks

She is a strategic growth leader who is passionate about consulting and connecting utility clients with solutions to their key challenges, particularly around resiliency and infrastructure. Amy Wharton is our Chief Revenue Officer bringing over 20 years of experience in the Energy and Utilities industry, heading Marketing and Business Development for Think Power Solutions. Whether you’re planning a large‑scale grid transformation, updating substation assets, or deploying digital platforms, Think Power Solutions can help you implement modernization that delivers capacity, resilience and value. Utilities are deploying mobile inspection apps, GIS‑enabled field data collection, and remote worker support through augmented reality or generative AI. Digital twin models create virtual replicas of grids or substations, enabling scenario simulation and predictive maintenance.

utility modernization

Studies commissioned by the states of California and New York show that managed https://eurodialogue.org/Turkeys-EU-Memberships-Possible-Impacts-on-the-Balkans electrification could lower the cost of distribution upgrades needed through 2035 by more than US$30 billion in each of these states.18 That’s because building efficiency measures and smart devices to manage energy usage and smooth EV charging could reduce capital spending on new substations, transformers, feeders, and other distribution equipment (figure 4). Unlocking this potential requires advanced digital technologies to enable active management but could deliver cost savings to utilities and customers. Unlike inflexible loads that are driving up peak demand and grid expansion, residential electrification creates a load that could potentially serve itself by 2035 (figure 3). At the intersection of the power, building, and transportation sectors, DER-equipped households also include major home appliances with smart controls, such as home heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and water heaters, and mobile DER such as EVs that owners intermittently plug into their homes.

Enterprise Capabilities Are Being Democratized

Indeed, only 3% of utility workers are currently employed in smart grid operations, but investments stemming from GRIP funding alone could create 178,000 more of these jobs.66 Many utilities plan to collaborate with unions, in addition to community colleges and apprenticeship programs, and career centers (figure 11). They will likely want to see that utilities are leveraging unprecedented federal funding to build resilient DERstribution capabilities. In an interview, Brien Sheahan, former chairperson and chief executive officer of the Illinois Commerce Commission, explained how utilities can do so. To achieve regulatory backing for DERstribution, utilities should make a clear case to regulators for DER-related investments. That is, the technical, operational, and regulatory capabilities should be in place for DERstribution.

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