This topic explores how utilities are upgrading transmission and distribution networks with advanced sensors, communications, automation, and control technologies. 

Grid modernization aims to fortify the distribution and transmission grids through physical infrastructure investments, as well as software, to improve system operability and resilience. This topic covers system hardening, undergrounding, ADMS, AMI, grid-enhancing technologies, and non-wires alternatives. 

Sponsored by:

Sensus

Featured content

Grid Investment Strategies

February 05, 2026

Please join this panel of utility senior executives as we discuss major new investments in the T&D system and trends towards 765kV and HVDC, advanced cables and conductors, DER integration, and gridedge sensors.  

From Grid Visibility to Predictive Intelligence: Scaling AI-Powered Grid Awareness Across 1.1 Million Endpoints in the AEP Texas Distribution Network

February 04, 2026

For Distributech 2026, we present the full-scale, enterprise-grade deployment of this solution across the AEP Texas distribution grid, now covering over 1.1 million end customers. This marks a major milestone in operationalizing AI-powered grid intelligence across a large, heterogeneous live utility network.

Grid modernization educational opportunities

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8:00 AM
  1. 9
    240 mins
    Energy and water power every part of our lives. Now you can explore how they connect - and earn a credential that sets you apart. Introducing this signature Resourcefulness Workshop and Digital Badge …
  2. 25B
    240 mins
    This course provides an examination of the fundamentals of electric utility supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems with a focus on case studies, industry best practices, and applicat …
  3. 25C
    240 mins
    This dynamic, utility-focused course explores how Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) can be adapted and enhanced to support the integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). As DER …
  4. 28E
    240 mins
    As wildfires become more frequent, destructive, and complex, utilities must adopt a forward-leaning, technologyenabledapproach to resilience. This four-hour Grid University course is designed for prof …
  5. 30E
    240 mins
    This intensive four-hour course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of modern Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), its evolution, future direction, and best practices for successfu …
  6. 31C
    240 mins
    This course provides a foundation to attendees who may be unfamiliar with cyber-security principles, concepts and methods, and then explains how the power utility Operations Technology (OT) environmen …
11:25 AM
  1. 29CD
    25 mins
    Buried beneath established routine and procedures, electric utilities uncover major gaps - paper-based as-builting workflows.  As they modernize their work management, GIS and graphic work design syst …
12:00 PM
  1. 31AB
    240 mins
    An overview of IEEE 1815, aka DNP3, the most widely-used SCADA protocol in North American electric utilities. The course covers modern SCADA concepts and how DNP3 implements them. The design concepts …
1:00 PM
  1. 29AB
    25 mins
    When Great River Energy (GRE) launched what would become America’s largest DLR deployment, it wasn’t aiming for headlines--it was answering the hard questions facing nearly every utility today: How we …
  2. 25B
    180 mins
    This course provides an in depth look at the systems that utilize supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) information, functionality, and secure networks for advanced applications. Key topics …
  3. 25C
    180 mins
    This course presents best practices for distributed energy resource (DER) Management from today’s real-life deployments. Throughout the course, audience participation is encouraged, inviting you to sh …
  4. 28E
    180 mins
    The proliferation of Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs) introduces significant challenges to effective grounding, primarily due to their distinct characteristics compared to traditional synchronous gener …
  5. 31C
    180 mins
    In today’s evolving distribution systems, microgrids play a vital role in enhancing reliability and resiliency, enabling seamless integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), and improving powe …
  6. 28CD
    50 mins
    Extreme weather events – whether wind-driven storms or prolonged drought conditions - are testing the resilience of today’s electric grid like never before.  While utilities have made major strides in …
1:25 PM
  1. 29AB
    25 mins
    With great data comes great opportunity, both to use the grid more efficiently and protect the system. Great River Energy (GRE) has deployed two kinds of Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) sensors. The first a …
2:00 PM
  1. 29AB
    50 mins
    As utilities modernize their grids, the need for IT and OT to work more closely together, and the rise of distributed energy resources (DERs) are creating unprecedented complexity. Running application …
  2. 28AB
    50 mins
    Like many major utilities, Xcel Energy was struggling with a complex legacy data platform, siloed teams, and a lack of operational maturity required to meet the demands of modern grid management. The …
  3. 26AB
    50 mins
    As utilities modernize and integrate increasingly diverse data sources, the need for a unified, flexible, and insight-driven data architecture becomes critical. In this session, we explore how graph d …
3:00 PM
  1. 29AB
    50 mins
    This session presents the design and operationalization of PG&E’s fully redundant synchrophasor data architecture, developed in collaboration with Quanta Technology. The presentation will detail the e …
  2. 29CD
    50 mins
    As the electric grid faces unprecedented challenges from extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and distributed energy integration, artificial intelligence is emerging as a critical enabler of grid re …
8:00 AM
  1. 28E
    240 mins
    This course extends the morning’s Introduction to IEEE 1815 (DNP3) by looking at more advanced usage of DNP3, interoperability issues and cybersecurity for DNP3. This course will discuss consideration …
9:00 AM
  1. 5AB
    195 mins
    This transmission workshop is designed to equip utility professionals with the immediate operational tools and long-term strategic planning frameworks necessary to modernize the electric grid for the …
  2. 29AB
    50 mins
    As climate-driven threats become more severe and localized, utilities across the country are adapting their resilience planning to reflect region-specific risks. From wildfire mitigation to storm hard …
10:00 AM
  1. 6F
    50 mins
    This panel will address recent developments in the regulation of nuclear energy and nuclear waste storage, and how they have affected, or might in the future affect, the expanded use of nuclear energy …
  2. 32AB
    50 mins
    Utilities are under pressure to deliver reliable and cost-effective power in the face of rising load demand and DER growth with infrastructure that is aging in critical areas of the grid.  Advanced Me …
  3. 29CD
    50 mins
    Utility companies play a key role in smart cities. Electric companies, working in partnership with city officials, technology companies, consultants, and several other institutions are among the major …
  4. 25A
    60 mins
    The utility industry stands at a critical inflection point. Legacy infrastructure, built for predictable load, is now facing a massive double-whammy: unprecedented, high-density load growth from elect …
10:15 AM
  1. Digitalizing the Grid - Booth #6045
    30 mins
    Distribution utilities are facing rapidly increasing interconnection volumes and growing complexity in distribution engineering and grid planning. Manual processes are reaching their limits, and the a …
11:00 AM
  1. 6F
    50 mins
    As utilities accelerate their transition to advanced grid technologies, the distribution network model has emerged as the critical foundation for enabling ADMS and DERMS functionality. This session, l …
  2. 6E
    50 mins
    The increased adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in California has put pressure on distribution grids. Vehicle-grid-integration strategies, including EV managed charging, turn EVs into flexible grid …
  3. 6C
    50 mins
    As electric vehicle (EV) adoption continues to accelerate, aligning the goals of automakers and utilities is critical to ensure the grid can accommodate higher EV penetration without compromising affo …
  4. 25B
    60 mins
    Utility construction is on the front lines of an energy revolution, driven by infrastructure needs for AI Data Centers, DER integration, System Hardening to support wildfire mitigation programs, and m …
1:00 PM
  1. 28AB
    50 mins
    With the deployment of Distributed Energy Resource (DER) systems on the rise, developing robust solutions to secure their communications infrastructure is becoming increasingly critical. This advanced …
  2. 6C
    50 mins
    Join Sensus to discover how PECO, Pennsylvania’s largest combined electric and natural gas utility, is revolutionizing grid management with cutting-edge RMS voltage monitoring. By deploying this techn …
  3. 33C
    60 mins
    During this session, we will explore how utilities can evolve structurally and culturally to meet rising demands. We'll dive into topics like governance, talent, and operating models – discussing how …
  4. 6D
    50 mins
    As distributed solar PV adoption accelerates, utilities face mounting voltage volatility on distribution feeders, particularly at the grid edge. In response, Hawaiian Electric (HECO) has launched a se …
  5. 6E
    50 mins
    SMUD is deploying Next Gen AMI and integrating Distributed Intelligence capabilities with their ADMS/DERMS system to bring grid edge level monitoring and controls into real-time operations. The new fu …
1:15 PM
  1. Digitalizing the Grid - Booth #6045
    30 mins
    A forward-looking approach to vegetation management is needed to meet the evolving challenges of wildfire mitigation efficiently. In this session, Logic20/20 will share how they co-developed and deplo …
  2. Grid Edge Intelligence - Booth #4845
    30 mins
    The rapid growth of inverter-based resources (IBRs) and the rise of sensitive loads such as AI-driven data centers are reshaping grid dynamics, making system strength harder to predict and manage. Tra …
2:00 PM
  1. 31AB
    50 mins
    How AI-enabled platforms connect utilities, communities, and technology providers. Asset Lifecycle Management and Optimization of Grid Assets Using data-driven insights to extend asset life and reduce …
  2. 6C
    50 mins
    As utilities accelerate their grid modernization journeys, data analytics is emerging as the cornerstone for transforming operations, improving reliability, and managing climate-driven risks. This ses …
  3. 6C
    50 mins
    As utilities accelerate grid modernization, Southern Company is setting a new standard with its Meter Intelligence Hub—an integrated, cloud-native analytics platform that fuses machine learning, AI ag …
2:45 PM
  1. Innovative and Emerging Tech - Booth #143
    30 mins
    A technical yet practical session on how digital twin intelligence, Dynamic Line Rating, Vegetation Management and predictive analytics are enabling utilities to unlock more capacity, reduce outages a …
  2. Digitalizing the Grid - Booth #6045
    30 mins
    Energy organizations face mounting pressure to safeguard operations against evolving cyber and operational risks. C-level executives view improvements to the industrial network and security systems di …
9:00 AM
  1. 28CD
    50 mins
    As utilities accelerate grid modernization to meet evolving reliability, efficiency, and decarbonization goals, Volt-VAR Optimization (VVO) has emerged as a cornerstone technology. This presentation e …
  2. 29AB
    50 mins
    Customers want electricity that is safe, affordable and reliable. Some want it to be clean. Most of them are connected to the grid. Some require new service connections or interconnections. Here is th …
10:00 AM
  1. 32AB
    50 mins
    As climate change intensifies and regulatory pressure increases, utilities face mounting challenges in managing vegetation to prevent outages and wildfires. This session explores how advanced data ana …
10:15 AM
  1. Reliability & Resiliency - Booth #UL741
    30 mins
    As rapid technological advances- including the proliferation of AI, the explosive growth of Data Centers, and the integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and fast EV charging- drive an unpre …
11:00 AM
  1. 32AB
    50 mins
    In the age of electrification, the narrative is changing from “how do we integrate customers into the grid?” to “how do we integrate into our customers’ lives?” Whether it’s managing energy use, acces …
  2. 28CD
    50 mins
    Electric utilities face growing challenges from severe weather, aging infrastructure, and rising reliability expectations. This session explores how Habersham Electric Membership Corporation implement …
  3. 29CD
    50 mins
    Time-synchronous measurements from low-voltage sensors, such as meters, can open the door to a new class of distribution-system diagnostics that were previously impractical at scale. This session demo …
  4. 31AB
    50 mins
    Reliability and resiliency challenges confront every utility—whether from extreme weather, equipment failures, cyber threats, or shifting load dynamics. In this session, utility leaders share firsthan …
  5. 6F
    50 mins
    The rapid adoption of Private LTE (PLTE) networks across electric utilities is accelerating the need for Network Operations Center (NOC) transformation. As utilities integrate new User Equipment (UE) …
11:45 AM
  1. Grid Edge Intelligence - Booth #4845
    30 mins
    The evolution of the power grid is progressively shifting to a more complex system, introducing new challenges and vulnerabilities to grid stability. To keep up with these changes while maintaining re …
1:00 PM
  1. 28CD
    50 mins
    As utilities deploy AI, analytics and automation at scale, the communications network must evolve. This session explores how to build an AI-ready grid using quantum-safe IP/MPLS and optical transport— …
  2. 26AB
    50 mins
    As utilities strive to support infrastructure growth and grid modernization, the imperative to secure and enhance new and existing systems grows ever more critical. This session will delve into the ro …
  3. 6D
    50 mins
    Grid edge and grid level Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) are important tools for utilities to manage DER assets and work with Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) to …
  4. 6E
    50 mins
    The line between distribution system planning and operations is quickly disappearing as utilities modernize the grid. With growing pressure from electrification, customer-side technologies, and extrem …
1:15 PM
  1. Grid Edge Intelligence - Booth #4845
    30 mins
    Across the evolving landscape of the distribution grid, the ability to turn data into intelligence is redefining what’s possible. In this session, Tantalus Systems will share its vision for Unified In …
2:00 PM
  1. 6C
    50 mins
    Learn how Duke Energy and National Grid are advancing their smart grid with AMI 2.0-capable meters, leveraging their existing networks and Wi-SUN interoperability standards to integrate multiple vendo …
  2. 28CD
    50 mins
    Utility IoT applications—such as Distribution Automation (DA), AMI 2.0, DERMS, and Consumer Engagement—are pushing the limits of network technologies like NB-IoT, CAT-M, LTE, 5G, satellite, and mesh. …
  3. 29CD
    50 mins
    With the acceleration of capital projects (new substations and upgrading existing substations), it is increasingly important to look at how to deploy digital substations. Digital substations provide i …
  4. 6E
    50 mins
    Salt River Project (SRP) are leading the way in grid modernization by integrating intelligent sensing technologies, predictive analytics, and Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) to enhance …
  5. 26AB
    50 mins
    Utilities are navigating a surge of challenges—aging infrastructure, affordability pressures, load growth, evolving software and data, and extreme weather. Wherever you are on the AMI wave—1.0, 1.5, 2 …
2:45 PM
  1. Innovative and Emerging Tech - Booth #143
    30 mins
    Overview and Update of the Automated Splicing Machine project being developed by Prysmian, ConEdison, and Exelon. Session Sponsored by Prysmian
  2. Digitalizing the Grid - Booth #6045
    30 mins
    Enterprise security operations centers monitor threats across the IT infrastructure using SIEM and SOAR platforms. When threats are detected, automated playbooks respond in seconds - isolating systems …
3:00 PM
  1. 29AB
    50 mins
    This content presents an approach to identifying optimal locations for the installation of Power Quality Conditioners (PQCs) within distribution systems to dynamically manage voltage and reactive powe …
  2. 28CD
    50 mins
    As utilities focus on their quest to modernize and harden the power grid, mission-critical cellular networks are emerging as a catalyst toward digitizing, decentralizing, and decarbonizing critical gr …
  3. 28AB
    50 mins
    The modernization of power grids is a critical imperative driven by surging energy demand, the integration of renewables, and the resilience challenges posed by extreme weather and aging infrastructur …
  4. 6E
    50 mins
    As DER adoption accelerates and frameworks like FERC Order 2222 reshape participation pathways, both ISOs and distribution utilities must rethink how wholesale markets coordinate with increasingly dyn …
  5. 29CD
    50 mins
    Modern blackouts no longer unfold at human speed—they now cascade at machine speed.A comparative analysis of major outages across the United States, Spain, Italy, and Latin America reveals a 300-fold …
  6. 6C
    50 mins
    At Distributech 2024, we introduced a novel AI-powered framework within the ADMS ecosystem, enabling DSOs to achieve low-voltage (LV) and medium-voltage (MV) grid visibility using existing GIS and AMI …
  7. 6F
    50 mins
    How do you convince regulators to approve forward-looking resilience investments when traditional cost-benefit frameworks weren't designed for climate uncertainty? This panel tackles the regulatory ch …
  8. 6D
    50 mins
    Duke Energy is facing increasingly challenging problems in our Grid Modernization journey. Challenges span from solving complex network optimizations as we work to harness the power of our distributed …
3:30 PM
  1. Innovative and Emerging Tech - Booth #143
    30 mins
    Distribution lateral circuits have long relied on basic protection devices — (reclosers, sectionalizers, and fuses) to maintain reliability. But today’s grid faces new challenges: DER integration, ele …
  2. Digitalizing the Grid - Booth #6045
    30 mins
    Secondary equipment will be the major innovation driver of utilities, as most novel business models rely on data and algorithms that require massive computational power to generate value, be it classi …
8:00 AM
  1. 25A
    240 mins
    Distribution feeder circuits have traditionally been designed as radial feeds, with the voltage being the highest at the substation and the lowest at the end of the circuit. This allows the voltage to …
  2. 31C
    240 mins
    As utilities modernize grid operations and prepare for a more connected, data-driven future, Private LTE (PLTE) networks are quickly becoming foundational infrastructure. This Grid University session …
10:00 AM
  1. 6D
    50 mins
    Texas’ ERCOT grid – independent, energy-only, and increasingly distributed – has become a proving ground for DER aggregation. Since 2021, ERCOT’s ADER Pilot Program has tested how aggregated distribut …
  2. 28CD
    50 mins
    As Ontario accelerates its grid modernization efforts, Hydro One is leading the charge with a customer-centric flexibility initiative that aligns with the province’s mandate for non-wires alternatives …
11:00 AM
  1. 29AB
    50 mins
    Meter vendors have offered many new innovations with AMI 2.0 devices.  New meters are capable of analyzing waveform data and providing power quality, enabling utilities to get much more value out thei …
  2. 6D
    50 mins
    The demand for cleaner electric energy grows each year with electrification of data storage, mobility, space conditioning, vertical agriculture, industrial processes and more. Some say that America wi …
11:15 AM
  1. Digitalizing the Grid - Booth #6045
    30 mins
    Next‑generation SF₆‑free gas‑insulated switchgear is reshaping the path to grid modernization. In this session, we’ll explore how these sustainable technologies can match, or even reduce, the footprin …
1:00 PM
  1. 29AB
    50 mins
    Energy loss due to tampering continues to be a major concern for utilities. Offenders are now more sophisticated and are illegally diverting more energy than ever, increasing the need for electricity …
  2. 6D
    50 mins
    As utilities and regulators face mounting pressure to modernize the grid, improve resilience, and unlock demand-side flexibility, performance-based ratemaking (PBR) is gaining traction as a powerful r …
2:00 PM
  1. 29AB
    50 mins
    BC Hydro was evaluating a large set of investments in Operating Technology to support the distribution side of their business. They realized that this was going to involve more than the control room. …
  2. 31AB
    50 mins
    All utilities want a grid that is fully resilient, safe for communities, and operating optimally for all ratepayers. But how do we get there?  This expert panel discussion will address the critical op …