2026 Event Schedule

This panel will present innovative systems, planned or being piloted, that provide advanced monitoring and analysis of electric utility distribution systems.

Each panelist will present one aspect of the system. Jonathan Woldemariam, SDG&E Director of Wildfire, will present the high priority use cases to include predicting overhead and underground conductor failures, identifying an energized downed/broken conductor, and determining the precise location of the fault. Ryan Anthon, PacifiCorp Director of Grid Modernization, will present the measurement and ancillary data that is required to implement the use cases to include the next generation of waveform capture AMI meters, and substation and circuit monitoring data. John Janney, Director of Southern California Edison’s T&D IT and Communications, will present the communications system and IT infrastructure required to collect, store, and expose the data.

The theme of the panel is that changes in our distbution system that have occurred require that we develop better distribution monitoring and analysis systems. These changes include the increased occurrence of wildfires and major storms, the growth of loads including electric vehicle chargers and data centers that are exceeding the loading capabilities of circuits and apparatus as well as the growth of DERs and residential solar.

The panel will then describe the end-to-end systems that can address these changes and improve distribution operations and management.

The panel will also discuss the deployement of two pilots, their scope and intial results. 

Based upon the fomral persentation contaten and the anticipated questions, we expect attendees to learn the following:

·       New use cases that have been researched and demonstrated that provide high value. These uses case include real-time fault location and predicting underground cable, overhead conductor, identfying energized downed condutors, and detecting vegitation incursion.

·       A unique approach as to how the new System can significantly improve ADMS functionality to reduce system losses, optimize voltage, and better manage load flow during system events.

·       A true and measurable cost recovery strategy.

·       An architecture that will be required to both support the use cases and functionality as well as an interface with ADMS and DERMS.

·       A clear explanation of the new generation of meters, their capabilities, and what Distributed Intelligence means to you.

·       The scope of the next gen system and a clear presentation of its components and complexity to ensure that adequate resources and time are requested and hopefully allocated.