AI, GRID EDGE AND THE RACE FOR POWER: KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM DTECH 2025

By Dr. Mani Vadari , President, Modern Grid Solutions

The 2025 Distributech (DTech) conference was held in Dallas, Texas, from March 24-27, continuing its impressive growth. Attendance exceeded 20,000; the final numbers are still forthcoming, but the trend remains strong, with 15-20% growth across all categories. Booths ranged in size, with OATI once again hosting the largest, and a dedicated area showcasing promising startups.

Modern Grid Solutions maintained a strong presence, engaging with industry professionals and vendors, exploring new technologies, and fostering new relationships. The days were packed with breakfast meetings at 7 AM, followed by visits to vendor booths and discussions throughout the day, and networking events in the evenings.  The Modern Grid Solutions team attended notable industry gatherings hosted by GE Vernova, Slalom, Accenture, and Aspen Tech.

The push toward platform-based solutions

Major vendors are shifting toward platform-based architectures, aiming to serve as the industry’s central integration point. While booth presentations highlighted their latest technologies and brightest minds, distinguishing substance from marketing hype remains a challenge.

Common characteristics of platform-based solutions included:

• Modular systems and component designs for greater flexibility
• Cloud readiness, allowing deployment in the cloud or on-premises
• Scalability, ensuring solutions can accommodate utilities of various sizes without compromising cost or performance
• Standards-based integration, enabling compatibility with third-party components
• Lower deployment costs and total costs of ownership through standardization and modularity.  

The landscape continues to be dynamic, with the accelerated innovation reflecting vendors’ race to keep pace with the rapidly evolving needs of both existing and new customers.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML) everywhere

The AI/ML/Generative AI bug has firmly entered the utility industry, sparking discussions across vendors, utilities and consulting firms. Utilities are trying to figure out how to use these new tools to address existing and emerging problems. Vendors are trying to determine how to incorporate these newer techniques into their toolsets. Lastly, consulting companies are trying to figure out how to stay relevant in this new age by helping educate their clients on the benefits of these new mechanisms. Key observations:

• The hype cycle ranges from the absurd (AI will replace OMS) to complete skepticism (AI has no role in the utility industry).
• A pragmatic approach has emerged, with vendors embedding AI/ML to augment their tools either by creating point enhancements or setting the problem definition in order to solve a tightly defined problem.
• Customer experience improvements, leveraging AI/ML techniques already widely used in other industries, are gaining traction.

The bottom line: AI/ML adoption is inevitable but will evolve gradually, starting with non-critical applications before progressing to mission-critical systems. Initially AI will provide directional insights rather than precise solutions.

Drones and robotics: Beyond the hype

Numerous exhibitors showcased innovations centered on drones and/or robotic solutions, emphasizing task over technology to address utility challenges:

• Fly-over transmission line inspections for infrastructure health.
• Fly-over transmission and distribution line vegetation assessments for wildfire risk mitigation.
• Walk-around (robots) or fly-around (drones) perform substation surveys, mapping components and their nameplate information to enable improvements in the information collected and recorded in GIS and related databases.
• Fly-over post-storm damage assessment, delivering fast, actionable insights. Cost-efficient labor solutions, integrating a broad range of sensors (visual, thermal, etc.) in a single inspection, enabling frequent inspections.

Rather than re-inventing technology, vendors are adapting solutions from other industries – such as advanced image processing and AI-driven diagnostics – to serve the unique needs of utilities.  

Grid edge and distributed energy growth

The grid-edge revolution is in full swing with the creation of both centralized and distributed architectures (supported by products and vendors). Key priorities include:

• Enhanced visibility and control at the edge
• Optimized energy consumption at the edge
• Seamless integration of distributed and centralized architectures
• Localized optimization for microgrids and VPPs (virtual power plants)

The industry’s collective recognition of grid-edge evolution is driving a renewed focus from meter vendors, control system vendors, microgrid/VPP vendors, and new innovative startups.

Data centers: A new kind of power consumer

With AI advancements accelerating, data center expansion is triggering massive energy demand, presenting unique challenges:

• Major tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon require large quantities of power, but are less sensitive to cost.
• These companies demand immediate energy availability and are willing to explore non-traditional sourcing methods.
• Some opt for off-grid solutions, purchasing power independently.  

This urgent need is forcing utilities, vendors, and consulting companies to rapidly develop new solutions catering to an entirely different customer profile than traditional customers.

Key companies that caught our attention

Carbonix: Carbonix delivers an all-electric fixed-wing VTOL Power Lift drone capable of executing rapid aerial surveys across vast and difficult terrain whilst maintaining high accuracy and even higher confidence. They come equipped with a choice of payload sensors to suit different industries and applications. Additionally, they offer a high-end LiDAR solution for topographic mapping, particularly in areas where vegetation canopy cover can reduce visibility.

inGeniti: inGeniti intends to create, globally deploy, and support innovative new optimization solutions to resolve key electricity and water issues. Their solutions will work for any electricity usage device, anywhere – even without data networks - for all electricity grids, for all consumers and utilities in residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural sectors, and for the watering of all types of agricultural crops, anywhere. Their solutions are already available or will be launched shortly.

Lindsey Systems: In an age when companies that started a few years ago are now worth billions of dollars, it was very refreshing to stop by and learn from Lindsey Systems, which for over 75 years has been providing thoughtful solutions to the electric power industry. Their products include hybrid systems that combine specialty sensors with analytic, web-based software. In addition, their sensors are high-accuracy distribution class current and voltage sensors integral to many utilities’ “Smart Grid” implementations.

VTScada by Trihedral: VTScada is an award-winning all-in-one HMI and SCADA software platform for industrial applications of any size. With industry-leading features like integrated version control, real-time configuration, and bi-directional synchronization, their unique approach to software and service has resulted in growth in sales, installations, and new customers every year for the last 37 years. Their industries of focus include Water/Wastewater, Power Generation, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Oil & Gas, Airport Systems, Food & Beverage, Tank Farm Monitoring, Broadcasting, Marine, Flood Control, Power Transmission and Power Distribution.

Final thoughts

The Electric Power System industry continues its juggernaut drive through a dynamic and fast-changing landscape, shaped by ongoing advances in platform-based solutions, AI/ML integration, automation technologies, grid-edge innovations and surging energy demands from data centers. The mix of domestic and international participation in all dimensions, attendees, and vendors, made it clear that the movement represents a train with a full head of steam towards a future that promises rapid transformation, fueled by the convergence of technology, adaptability and dramatic market shifts. DTech 2025 and its continued increase in attendees, exhibitors, and display of vendor innovations has made it the industry’s must-attend event even for international attendees.