Empowering Utilities: T&D World Live 2025 Conference Highlights

This year, T&D World Live 2025 comes to the Phoenix area for a high-energy meeting of minds on the future of the electric grid. As one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States, the Southwest U.S. faces increasing demand for reliable, efficient, and sustainable power. Arizona utilities are tackling these challenges head-on, from integrating large-scale solar and battery storage to implementing advanced grid management systems.
As we have mentioned many times before, utilities — unlike nearly all other industries — don’t compete with one another, swinging open the door of opportunity for knowledge sharing and collaboration. From Sept. 23–25, 2025, at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa, utility professionals can share experiences and learn from each other at the T&D World Live Conference and Exposition.

Electric utilities are facing several pressing challenges that are reshaping the industry, and this year’s technical program is utility-led and vetted by T&D World Live’s advisory board. We launched T&D World Live four years ago to provide a live forum that mirrored what T&D World magazine has been doing for 75 years — offering a place where utilities could share their stories, concerns, lessons and best practices with one another.

Host Utility

Host utilities, as well as the advisory board, play a pivotal role in the event by sharing their expertise, showcasing innovative solutions, and facilitating crucial conversations on grid transformation. Their involvement underscores the importance of collaboration in navigating the complexities of the evolving energy landscape.

This year, Arizona Public Service (APS) will serve as the official Host Utility for the event. As Arizona’s largest electric utility, APS delivers safe, reliable, and clean energy to over 1.3 million customers — while leading the way in grid modernization, renewable integration, and wildfire mitigation.

With APS as the host utility, attendees can expect:

• Local leadership and insights from a utility at the forefront of the energy transition.
• Deep industry knowledge brought directly into the conference program.
• Regional relevance with sessions, case studies, and networking rooted in the Southwest’s energy challenges and solutions.

APS is engaged in several significant projects to expand energy infrastructure, transitioning to cleaner energy sources, and modernizing the grid to enhance reliability and meet increasing demand. Some of their biggest projects and ongoing initiatives include:

• Large-scale solar projects: APS is building the Ironwood Solar Plant (nearly 170 MW) and has contracted for another 2,480 MW of solar resources through power purchase agreements.
• Integrating battery storage: APS is adding 150 MW of battery energy storage to the Agave Solar Plant to provide power after sunset and has secured more energy storage through power purchase agreements capable of capturing 3,460 MW of energy.
• Transmission line upgrades: This includes upgrading a critical underground transmission line in central Phoenix, and constructing new lines like the Cotton Transmission Corridor (53 miles of 230kV and 500kV) and the Westwing 230kV Interconnection project.

Tony Tewelis, APS’s Vice President of Transmission and Distribution Operations, will keynote the second day of the conference; Charting the Course Through Change at Arizona Public Service. Tewelis is responsible for safe, reliable and efficient operation of the company’s energy delivery function, which includes planning, engineering, construction, operations and maintenance, of the transmission and distribution systems, as well as the customer-to-grid solutions team. He has considerable experience in advanced grid technologies, advanced operational platforms, and integration of renewables and distributed energy resources.

Conversations and Learning

By attending T&D World Live, utility professionals can learn from utility leaders as well as ask questions and discuss problems and solutions to the most pressing issues. The conference includes pre-conference workshops, general sessions, breakout sessions, PowerUp lunches, and networking receptions.

The opening General Session on Tuesday will cover energy policy impacts on customers. In this panel, leaders from APS, PacifiCorp, and PGE compare the realities of evolving policy mandates and market signals. From offshore wind bans to fracking, EV incentives, and carbon commitments, panelists will discuss what matters most to customers.

On Thursday, a panel including Eversource, National Grid, Dominion and PG&E will share design practices, cost strategies, community engagement, and system reliability outcomes from major undergrounding projects. This panel will highlight the technological innovations and policy justifications driving underground work from coast to coast.

Other topics that will be discussed in breakout sessions include substation monitoring, resilience plans, AI, workforce development, cybersecurity, communications, wildfire mitigation, data center impacts, dynamic line rating, and affordability.

The sessions include panel discussions, use cases, and formal presentations about the latest trends and cutting-edge technology. The schedule also includes ample networking opportunities for casual conversation with colleagues and peers, including the Power Up Lunch on Tuesday, which offers an opportunity to exchange ideas, discuss best practices and learn from your peers in a small group setting. You pick the topic and sit at a table with others who are interested in the same topic.

The conference content is extensive and can’t be adequately covered here, but session and speaker details about the general and breakout sessions are available on the event website at: https://events.tdworld.com/2025/conferenceprogram.

Technologies

In addition to all the great content, it’s important to note that T&D World Live also includes an exhibit hall that will showcase some of the latest and greatest new technologies and solutions from more than 30 exhibiting and sponsoring companies. The exhibition hall is designed to provide an ideal environment and plenty of time for attendees to network with other attendees, as well as these solution providers.

All event activities will take place at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa. Details about the venue and hotels are available here: https://events.tdworld.com/2025/venue.
For full details and registration for T&D Live Conference and Exhibition 2025 visit: https://events.tdworld.com/2025/registration.

Note: All event details are current as of press time and are subject to change. For a T&D World 20% reader discount, register at https://events.tdworld.com/2025/registration and enter code TDWREADER.