2026 Event Schedule

As Data center load growth, DER proliferation, and aging infrastructure place unprecedented stress on the power grid, utilities must move beyond traditional reactive operations toward intelligent, anticipatory, and autonomous systems. This panel brings together leaders from PG&E, Portland General Electric, and DTE Energy to explore how advanced AI—ranging from predictive analytics to fully agentic operational workflows—is reshaping grid resiliency and reliability at scale.

The session will unveil real-world examples of AI detection of early wildfire ignition signals, predicting equipment failure weeks in advance, dynamically optimizing load in real time, and orchestrating multi-system outage restoration. Panelists will share how their organizations are deploying AI tools for field crews, automating substation and feeder insights, integrating DERs and microgrids with AI-driven situational awareness, and leveraging digital twins to stress-test their networks against extreme weather scenarios.

Attendees will learn what it takes to operationalize AI responsibly—data readiness, model governance, cybersecurity, workforce augmentation, regulatory alignment, and cross-utility collaboration. The session will also spotlight emerging agentic AI frameworks that coordinate decision-making across OMS, ADMS, WMS, SCADA, and customer channels—paving the way for autonomous grid operations.

Session Sponsored by Kyndryl