From reverse power flow in distribution systems to fault location isolation and service restoration (FLISR), New York utilities have just about seen it all – and they’re ready to share what they’ve learned at DTECH (formerly known as DISTRIBUTECH), the leading annual transmission and distribution event that addresses technologies used to move electricity from the power plant through the transmission and distribution systems to the meter and inside the home.
Below is a breakdown of DTECH sessions involving utilities from New York. Register here to secure your spot, and we’ll see you in Dallas!
Con Edison
March 26
AI helps Con Edison predict storm outages and restoration timelines
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being used at Con Edison to withstand the challenges of weather events and their increasing severity across their service territory. Utilizing historical weather, outage, and restoration data, Con Edison is using a tool that identifies similar past storms to help forecast the expected number of outages and customers affected based on upcoming weather forecasts.
Coupled with a user interface driven by the Con Edison team, the platform delivers a powerful tool that displays a projected restoration timeline based on the potential number of crews and includes expected key milestones such as 50%, 90%, and 100% restoration at various levels of geographical granularity. This provides a repeatable process, leveraging data and technology in which Con Edison can better hone its mutual assistance requests to complement their internal crews and communicate more accurate restoration timelines to customers during major outage events. After the weather passes through the service territory and during restoration, actual numbers for the outages and restorations are used to adjust the projections, providing Con Edison with up-to-date information. By leveraging this tool Con Edison can:
- Communicate data-driven projections with key stakeholders
- Ensure restoration is tracked with initial projections
- Facilitate increased field efficiency through better planning
- Ensure an effective number of FTE’s are requested through mutual aid
Automated Splicing Machine for Underground Power Cables
Prysmian Cables & Systems USA, with its partners Consolidated Edison and Exelon, is developing a hands-free medium voltage underground power cable splicing machine to dramatically improve workforce safety and increase distribution grid reliability, by reducing the time crews spend in underground vaults and by reducing splicing-caused medium-voltage network failures from 60-80% to less than 5%. The proposed machine – which fits down a utility hole and is operated from above ground – would implement laser cutting and layer preparation, abrade cable layers, and complete the splice while a vision system augmented with machine learning would aid operators in maintaining quality control.
Central Hudson Gas & Electric
March 25
The future of flexible interconnections
One way to alleviate the time and cost challenges in the interconnection process is through a Flexible Interconnection. Flexible Interconnections allow generation, load, or storage assets to connect to the grid in exchange for the utility controlling the assets for certain periods of time to alleviate grid constraints.
This session will bring together four utilities from New York to discuss flexible interconnections. Avangrid, National Grid, Orange & Rockland, and Central Hudson will join flexible interconnections pioneer Smarter Grid Solutions to dive deep into the technical and policy requirements necessary to implement a flexible interconnection solution. The utilities will discuss the benefits of flexible interconnections, lessons learned from their implementation, and what they see as the future of flexible interconnections in New York.
Attendees will learn about how each utility implemented flexible interconnections, the grid benefits seen from utilities’ projects and how they plan to carry their projects forward into the future.
New York Power Authority
March 27
Battery Blueprint: Crafting the Future of Energy Storage – Session 3: Battery Safety – From Plans to Action
Battery fires garner a great deal more media attention than comparable fires with other causes. The absence of adequate information about the causes and effects of battery fires often leads authorities to take worst-case scenario measures out of an abundance of caution in the absence of data, but may create unnecessary fear and inconvenience.
The above concerns can be addressed through education, and incident preparedness, and by ensuring first responders, utilities, government officials, and the public have access to information about the true risks and effects of battery fires.
This panel, including two speakers from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) will discuss their approach to safety and share their industry-leading work in ensuring the safe deployment and operation of battery energy storage systems.
National Grid
March 25
The future of flexible interconnections
One way to alleviate the time and cost challenges in the interconnection process is through a Flexible Interconnection. Flexible Interconnections allow generation, load, or storage assets to connect to the grid in exchange for the utility controlling the assets for certain periods of time to alleviate grid constraints.
This session will bring together four utilities from New York to discuss flexible interconnections. Avangrid, National Grid, Orange & Rockland, and Central Hudson will join flexible interconnections pioneer Smarter Grid Solutions to dive deep into the technical and policy requirements necessary to implement a flexible interconnection solution. The utilities will discuss the benefits of flexible interconnections, lessons learned from their implementation, and what they see as the future of flexible interconnections in New York.
Attendees will learn about how each utility implemented flexible interconnections, the grid benefits seen from utilities’ projects, and how they plan to carry their projects forward into the future
Renewables integration and grid modernization challenges in electric utilities
The transition toward renewable energy sources necessitates a comprehensive overhaul of grid infrastructure and operational strategies. A panel of utility industry experts from Eversource, PSEG New Jersey, National Grid, and Arizona Public Service will share challenges with integrating renewables and modernizing their grids to accommodate evolving consumer demands and technological advancements.
Topics to be discussed include:
- The intermittency of renewable energy sources and the grid stability and reliability complexities they bring
- Advanced forecasting, energy storage solutions, and demand-side management strategies
- Coordinating diverse DER assets, including rooftop solar panels, battery storage systems, and electric vehicle chargers
- Communication and control frameworks to optimize resource use and mitigate grid congestion
- Grid infrastructure upgrades needed to accommodate bi-directional power flows and enhance grid resilience, such as smart grid technologies, grid-scale energy storage systems, and intelligent grid monitoring and control systems capable of real-time situational awareness and adaptive response.
- Lagging regulatory frameworks pose challenges for utilities seeking to incentivize renewable integration and grid modernization investments
- Cybersecurity concerns related to interconnected smart grids
Ultimately, the session will foster the dialog needed to advance the inclusion of renewables in electric utility portfolios.
Exploring talent acquisition and retention strategies with National Grid, the Society of Women Engineers, and ABB
Workforce management is a chief area of concern for utilities, especially as the industry faces rapid technological advancements amidst evolving energy demands.
This panel of experts from National Grid, Society of Women Engineers, and ABB will explore strategies to attract and retain a diverse, skilled workforce among these challenges and opportunities. Key topics include the importance of embracing new technologies, the necessity of investing in upskilling programs, and the role of leadership in fostering an adaptable, inclusive, and motivated workforce.
March 26
Making the case: Economic and societal values of DERMS with PG&E, Xcel, and National Grid
While the technical merits of distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS) have received significant attention in recent years, the economic and societal values of DERMS-enabled applications are still being discerned.
This session presents methodologies for assessing the value streams enabled by DERMS to support utility investment decisions and cost-recovery filings. DERMS applications considered include supporting flexible interconnection agreements, non-wires alternatives, and DER grid services. Utility representatives from Xcel, PG&E, and National Grid will discuss real-world case studies that illustrate these concepts in practice.
Session participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to evaluate the benefits of DERMS and apply these insights to optimize grid management and investment strategies.
Electrifying transportation: Insights from utility leaders
Even as electric vehicle sales continue to rise – 20% year on year, per the latest projections – utilities are struggling to roll out the EV charging infrastructure needed to meet demand and enable their vision of a more sustainable, electrified future. Utility leaders must answer pressing questions about where to build charging stations, how to prioritize locations and rollout plans, and how to more effectively manage a power grid already at (or beyond) capacity. They also need to address CapEx and profitability considerations.
Combining AI and digital twins offers some fast, effective paths forward. How are utility leaders addressing the EV infrastructure imperative? What types of tools are used to streamline processes, standardize practice, and simplify interactions? What steps are being taken to address citizens’ demands along with the needs of commercial freight carriers? Hear from innovators in both areas and learn some practical steps utilities can take on a day-to-day and strategic planning level.
DER’s transformative impact on ADMS operations
Join us for an insightful session on the transformative impact of DER on ADMS operations. This session will explore how cutting-edge ADMS technology enhances grid reliability, efficiency, and integration of renewable energy sources. You will discover how ADMS has evolved to allow operators to maintain situational awareness, improve operational efficiency and reliability in the presence of high penetration DER.
Expert speakers from Hitachi Energy, Unitil and Bridgesource will share their real-world experiences, providing you with actionable insights and practical knowledge. Independent power producers and utility operators can learn about the latest advancements in ADMS, its critical role in optimizing DERMS, and the benefits of a grid-aware approach in managing distributed energy resources.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how ADMS can revolutionize your grid management strategies and support the integration of renewable energy sources.
National Grid’s implementation of fault location isolation & service restoration (FLISR) for reliability
To improve the reliability of the electric distribution system, National Grid has implemented a ‘home-made’ fault location, isolation & service restoration (FLISR) system. FLISR is a centralized system that communicates with field devices to identify and isolate the location of a fault or “interruption”, before autonomously re-routing power to minimize the impact of the outage. Twenty percent of National Grid’s Massachusetts customers are connected to a distribution feeder with FLISR enabled, and FLISR has had a material impact on customer reliability.
This presentation will address the successes and challenges National Grid has encountered in deploying its home-grown implementation of FLISR and give some examples of successful FLISR operations. A discussion of the technical implementation of FLISR will be included, covering communications and protection equipment, coordination with sub-transmission auto-transfer schemes, coordination between reclosers in alternate feeder configurations, load current validation, load checks to prevent equipment and cable rating violations, load masking by distributed energy resources, safety-interlocks to protect worker safety during feeder maintenance, and scheme simulation testing. In addition, we will discuss the future of FLISR in an ADMS-enabled system, and the potential to integrate FLISR with other wider efforts across National Grid, such as flexible interconnections and distributed energy resource management systems.
Understanding reverse power flow impacts at National Grid and Hydro One
High levels of distributed energy resources (DER) are causing reverse power in distribution systems. A key indicator is relative generation-to-load ratios that are typically increasing as more DER is interconnected. Reverse power can dramatically change daily load profiles and often involves substation transformers including reverse power into the transmission system.
Technical concerns with reverse power include voltage regulating equipment and feeder automation misoperation, increased potential for unintentional islanding, power frequency overvoltages, and equipment loading impacts. Each of these can negatively impact distribution reliability, safety, and power quality.
There is currently industry debate regarding the need to derate substation transformers when reverse power flow exists and research findings will be shared that address this concern. This session will also bring utilities — National Grid and FirstEnergy — together to share their experiences related to reverse power.
National Grid’s AMI 2.0 roll-out: Edge-computing opens new paths for both consumers and grid operations
In this session, National Grid will share highlights from the recent AMI 2.0 meter rollout in New York and Massachusetts and the benefits already being realized from meters, including their work with Sense to offer consumers a real-time experience. They’ll also highlight their upcoming pilot of Sense’s EV Intelligence solution, which will help National Grid identify and manage EV charging on the grid, enabling smarter load balancing and grid planning.
How a Northeastern utility used dynamic line rating to power load growth
In 2024, National Grid operationalized the largest deployment of dynamic line ratings (DLR) in the United States and the first in New York State. With the additional transmission line capacity enabled by automated, condition-specific line ratings, National Grid can provide more homes and businesses with clean, renewable energy.
This panel will explore how National Grid evaluated considerations to operationalize, such as how the data is integrated with their control room and DLR’s role in planning. Attendees will come away with insights on how a fully integrated DLR project can benefit utilities and ratepayers.
Unlocking the Future of the Grid: Modernization: Piclo Marketplace
Grid modernization is key to building a cleaner, more resilient energy future. With a shift toward renewable energy, distributed resources, and smart technologies, the grid needs to adapt to new demands for flexibility, efficiency, and reliability.
At the forefront of this transformation is Piclo, a dynamic digital marketplace connecting distributed energy resources (DERs) with utilities and grid operators. By enabling access to flexible grid services, Piclo empowers utilities, grid operators, aggregators, and energy providers to seamlessly participate in balancing the grid and optimizing energy use.
Join us for an insightful session where we’ll explore how Piclo is driving grid modernization in the U.S. by facilitating the integration of renewable energy, enhancing grid resilience, and fostering a more efficient, market-driven energy system. Hear more about Piclo’s partnerships with National Grid in New York; and Eversource and United Illuminating in Connecticut.
4 utilities share advanced tech for identifying and locating wildfires
Wildfire risk is one of the top risks faced by electric utilities today. Fire season is year-round. California and the West have experienced a dramatic increase in the number and intensity of wildfires. And now, utilities across North America realize they must have a fire mitigation plan. Regulators, investors, the insurance industry, and customers expect a wildfire mitigation plan as a best practice. They all demand a safer and more resilient T&D system.
Explore these new fire mitigation plans with four utilities — SDG&E, Arizona Public Service, Oncor, and National Grid — that are leading the industry in the identification and location of wildfires. Learn the costs and benefits of new fire mitigation strategies like sensor systems, satellites, cameras, covered conductors, strategic undergrounding, and public safety power shutoff. Learn how AI is adding value to massive amounts of raw data coming from transmission and distribution rights of way at the grid edge.
Discover the challenges of planning, permitting, and executing these immediate and long-term initiatives from proactive utilities directly engaged in increasingly detailed wildfire mitigation programs.
March 27
DISTRIBUTECH Transmission Summit – Panel 2: Advanced Transmission Technologies for a 21st Century Grid
New infrastructure and new technologies will work together to rapidly and cost-effectively expand transmission capacity. This panel will collect experiences with these technologies from various stakeholders, including from National Grid, to develop an outlook for adoption.
Dominion, National Grid, and SCE approaches to “right-sizing” distribution systems to enable deep decarbonization
Decarbonization goals are leading a transition towards higher penetrations of renewables and electrified loads. A robust electric distribution system that is “right-sized” with modern capabilities is needed to achieve increasing customer expectations in a safe, reliable, and affordable manner. As the distribution system rapidly evolves, novel planning, design, and operating processes are also needed to proactively identify and justify the needs and designs of the future.
In this panel, Dominion Energy, National Grid, Southern California Edison (SCE), and EPRI will share their approaches to handling mass electrification and renewable growth, including the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of each solution. Dominion Energy will discuss the benefits and challenges associated with its 34.5 kV distribution system, and National Grid will speak on capacity solutions for legacy 4 kV systems.
In addition, SCE and EPRI will present key findings from the recent grid architecture project. In this project, EPRI conducted an in-depth review of unique grid architectures and designs globally to uncover the best practices and methods established by various regions. It highlighted, on a global scale, the innovative and forward-thinking methods being adopted for future grid developments as well as case studies for grid transformations at various levels of transmission and distribution.
Making sense of AMI 2.0 with National Grid and Snohomish PUD
Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) 2.0 is the next wave of smart metering that promises to transform how utilities and customers interact and benefit from energy data. However, the path to AMI 2.0 benefits realization is not clear-cut, and utilities have found it necessary to pilot small use cases and iterate on their long-term roadmap.
The opportunity exists for utilities to shorten the learning curve and leverage best practices to maximize the value of AMI 2.0. Some are starting to collaborate with solution providers to access the latest innovations and insights.
In this session, hear from three utilities that are at different stages of their AMI 2.0 journey: CPS Energy and Snohomish PUD. They will share their experiences, challenges, and successes in developing and implementing their AMI 2.0 strategies, moderated by Cognizant. You will also learn about the AMI 2.0 Innovation Council, a network of utility peers and solution providers that’s working jointly to refine use cases and drive best practices across the industry.
Join us for this interactive and informative session and hear what others are doing to advance AMI 2.0.