DTECH® News

From left to right: Kenzie Jones, Victor Daldegan Paduani, Ryan Hawthorne and Jeremiah Karpowicz. Photo courtesy DTECH.

Everyone in this room understands the incredible expectations and challenges that define this entire sector. Keeping the lights on while simultaneously navigating an energy transition unlike any we’ve ever seen is no small task, but it’s one that all of you have embraced in ways that are literally powering the world. No matter how big or small, just about everything in front of us as a society and civilization needs to be powered, which arguably makes this industry more critical than any other.

Every day, you’re battling evolving challenges, which include ever-increasing demand shifts and sorting out what grid resilience needs to look like in the face of extreme weather. This work needs to be about more than incremental improvements and instead serve as a fundamental shift in how we approach transmission and distribution.

Today, we’re here to celebrate the people and projects who are doing exactly that. These are innovators who aren’t just talking about the “grid of the future” but are deploying the practical solutions that are driving tangible value. By spotlighting these efforts, we’re creating essential blueprints for the entire utility sector. These projects will become case studies that accelerate adoption and enable stakeholders to share best practices, ensuring that today’s breakthrough becomes tomorrow’s standard operating procedures.

Additionally, in an age where public trust is paramount, we need to spread the word about all of the efforts we’re making to positively impact affordability issues that are top of mind for customers across the nation. Highlighting such achievements with awards like this is how we communicate to ratepayers and the communities being served that their utilities are making smart and strategic investments to ensure those lights stay on, no matter what.

These are people who are making a difference. These are projects that are defining a path forward for the entire sector. These are the DTECH Grid Changers.  

For our Grid Pioneer of the Year, we’re excited to recognize the visionary leadership that is essential for modernizing the backbone of our system. The greatest threat to reliability often lies in managing nearly century-old infrastructure, which is why we’re thrilled to award this honor to Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Engineering at Central Hudson Gas & Electric.

Ryan’s team spearheaded the H&SB Transmission Project, which is a multi-phase rebuild of a 23.6-mile electric transmission line that was originally commissioned in 1928. This was more than simple maintenance, as it represents a complete transformation of the system and infrastructure. By replacing the old lattice towers and wires with steel poles while also significantly increasing the line’s voltage capacity, the project delivered an incredible increase in electric service reliability and storm hardening for the whole region.

As we heard during our panel, strategic foresight can be the difference between a good idea and real project that creates value. Ryan’s thinking and leadership helped the team and organization overcome the technical, regulatory, and logistical inertia associated with large-scale capital projects, which enabled his team to provide a critical and durable upgrade to the grid. His forward-thinking approach is one that countless others can learn from, as it has compelled necessary changes to aging assets that simultaneously future-proof the entire system.

Please join us in congratulating Ryan Hawthorne!

From left to right: Jeremiah Karpowicz, DTECH Content Director; Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President, Engineering – Central Hudson; Kenzie Jones, Program Manager, DTECH Events. Photo courtesy of DTECH

For our Grid Project of the Year, foundational work that is de-risking and accelerating the deployment of the next generation of Grid Enhancing Technologies caught the attention of our judges and community. The winner is the Advanced Grid Innovation Laboratory for Energy, or AGILe.

AGILe is a state-of-the-art power systems laboratory that provides an essential tool for the entire utility industry and has essentially created a “digital twin” of New York’s electric grid. It’s actually more than that though, as it’s not a simulation but is instead a high-fidelity, real-time operating environment that allows engineers to test and rigorously model the integration of new technologies, complex control schemes, and software updates in a virtual, real-time environment. That they’re able to do all of this without ever risking the stability of the live grid makes all the difference to stakeholders and to customers across the region.

By providing a safe, accelerated sandbox for innovation, AGILe drastically shortens R&D cycles for technologies like distributed energy resource management (DERMS), microgrids, and advanced protection systems. This project is a foundational asset that allows utilities to rapidly de-risk the implementation of advanced solutions, moving innovation from the drawing board to the control room faster than ever before.

Please join us in congratulating the entire AGILe team as well as Victor Daldegan Paduani, Ph.D., Manager at AGILe, who is here to accept the award.

From left to right: Jeremiah Karpowicz, DTECH Content Director; Victor Daldegan Paduani, Ph.D., Manager, AGILe – New York Power Authority; Kenzie Jones, Program Manager, DTECH Events. Photo courtesy of DTECH

Stay tuned for updates about the 2026 awards and be sure to nominate a person or project!

About the Author

Jeremiah Karpowicz is the Content Director for Transmission and Distribution at Clarion Energy Group, driving the conference development for DTECH events as well as reporting on the energy industry via Factor This. With over a decade of experience as a content strategist and digital leader, he possesses a rare talent for building industry connections that wouldn't otherwise materialize. He's passionate about using content and conversations to expand DTECH's events and publications to new audiences and greater impact. If you'd like to share a story idea or contribute content, you can reach him here.