Thirteen Finalists Named for the 2025 UAI Excellence Awards
The Utility Analytics Institute (UAI) announced the finalists for the 2025 UAI Excellence Awards, which recognize the individuals and teams driving innovation, leadership, and meaningful transformation through analytics in the utility sector.
Now in its sixth year, the UAI Excellence Awards remain one of the most respected honors in the industry. The 2025 finalists represent utilities and organizations across North America that are solving critical challenges and advancing analytics maturity to deliver measurable value.
Finalists will be celebrated and winners announced during Utility Analytics Week 2025, taking place October 28–30 in Austin, Texas.
The Signature Awards Categories
Three awards undergo a rigorous peer review process and finalist interviews before winners are chosen:
- Best Innovative Utility Analytics Team
- Best Utility Analytics Leader
- Best Utility Analytics Professional
The 2025 UAI Excellence Award finalists represent diverse achievements, from wildfire mitigation planning and asset decision support systems to leadership in AMI analytics, governance, and data science innovation.
Beyond the Signature Awards
During UA Week 2025, UAI will also:
- Announce the 2025 Analytics Ambassador
- Recognize winners of the Community Engagement Awards (Most Engaged Individual Member, Most Engaged Utility Member, and Most Engaged Solution Provider Member)
- Reveal this year’s Top 25 Thought Leaders in Utility Analytics
Why It Matters
“These finalists represent not only technical excellence, but also the collaboration, creativity, and leadership that are essential to advancing analytics across the industry,” said Leslie Cook, UAI’s Manager of Membership, Engagement & Training.
“Each year, the UAI Excellence Awards shine a spotlight on the incredible talent within our community,” added Gina Weber, Managing Director of UAI. “We’re excited to celebrate these achievements in Austin and share their impact with the broader utility analytics community.”
And the Finalists for the 2025 UAI Excellence Awards…
Best Innovative Utility Analytics Team:
- Avista – The Avista Decision Support System (ADSS) Team
- SDG&E – Wildfire Mitigation Department, WMP Advanced Analytics (WMP AA) – Wildfire Next Generation System Planning (WiNGS)
- Austin Energy – Data Office
- Eversource Energy – Power System Automation
Best Utility Analytics Leader:
- Joyce Solomon – AMI Data Science and Analytics Manager, Southern Company
- Mike Turner – Chief Data Officer, Austin Energy
- Hannah Ball – Data Governance Manager, Tacoma Public Utilities
Best Utility Analytics Professional:
- Anthony Cerrato – Senior Data Engineer, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative
- Tim Holmes – Lead Developer, Logic20/20
- Zefan Tang – Senior Data Scientist, Eversource Energy
- Jing Yang – Lead Data Scientist, Eversource Energy