Key Trends at T&D World Conference: AI, Complexity, and Cross-Industry Collaborations

Keywords: Transmission & Distribution World Conference, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twins, Electrification, Energy Infrastructure, Microgrids

Overview

For all industries, the T&D World Live Conference in Atlanta, GA had very compelling sessions across five tracks of importance, including: AI and Digitalization, Distributed Energy Resource Integration, Electrification and eMobility, Grid Resiliency and Black Sky Hazards, and the Future Transmission & Distribution Grid. 

The electric utility industry is at the forefront of infrastructure-related optimization efforts when it comes to addressing the complexities, cross-industry issues, and regulatory challenges associated with clean energy, e.g., for freight transportation, for heat to replace fossil fuels in industrial processes, or for clean energy for feedstocks in other applications. 

Largest U.S. Utility Mutual Aid Assistance: Hurricane Helene 

Electric service restoration efforts in response to Hurricane Helene are the largest utility industry mutual aid assistance mobilization in U.S. history. Tens of thousands of utility crews from all over the U.S. have been participating in restoration efforts. Τhe scale and depth of the storm’s destructiveness in some areas of the Southeastern U.S. is requiring a full rebuild, rather than mere repair, for portions of impacted T&D systems. While this reduced utility attendance at the conference, nonetheless, personnel from utilities and their solution and service provider communities participated in numerous productive meetings and panel sessions. 

Greater Collaborations Are Underway and Growing 

Heroic utility line workers’ collaborative spirit was praised at the conference. Cross-industry collaborations at the conference are also praiseworthy.

Utilities’ long-standing traditions of mutual aid point to key wider trends, because much greater cross-collaboration was evident at the conference in other ways that span across industries that share risks associated with infrastructure and supply chains, including those associated with energy and with transportation, all of which rely directly and indirectly on electric utility service. 

Growth areas are impactful, for example, for the oil & gas, chemical, mining & metals, and diverse manufacturing industries, given the economic value and other benefits associated with electrification and replacement of highly GHG emissive processes with cleaner energy sources ranging from renewable electric power to hydrogen to other sources.

To achieve success, innovations driven by competition are an important factor. But it will be insufficient. We also need greater collaboration, and a vision on the part of industry that can appropriately position policymakers to enable the infrastructure resources we all share. 

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