T&D World Live Hot Topic: AI & Digital Transformation

The T&D World Live Conference provides insights on some of the most important industry topics of 2025. One of the biggest topic in the electric industry is without a doubt AI.

AI and digital tools are revolutionizing the utility industry by enabling predictive maintenance, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. This focus area highlights how utilities can adopt AI, digital twins, and advanced analytics to optimize processes. It also covers real-world use cases for these technologies to drive innovation.

Take a look at our schedule of events dedicated to this important topic:

Tuesday, September 23:

• 102: How Multiple Utilities Are Using AI and Data Science to Improve Transmission Operations
  • AI is transforming grid operations — moving utilities from reactive troubleshooting to proactive grid management. This session brings together three compelling utility case studies that demonstrate how AI and machine learning are solving persistent transmission challenges. Discover how transformer health analytics are extending asset life, how real-time sensor data is being used to assess line risk and prevent outages, and how synchrophasor analytics are improving grid stability and situational awareness. Whether your utility is just beginning to explore AI or deep into deployment, this session will offer tactical takeaways and strategic context.
• 202: National Grid Uses AI to De-Risk Grid Expansion in the Northeast
  • National Grid’s substation expansion project in Massachusetts and an underground transmission upgrade in New York —built to support increasing demand— both faced major challenges related to underground utility conflicts and schedule pressure. To mitigate these risks, National Grid applied AI technologies that aggregated historical records, GIS data, and field inputs to uncover potential issues early. The session will detail how AI-enabled planning prevented delays, allowed integration into asset records, and delivered future-ready infrastructure. Attendees will get a look at how AI can support infrastructure reliability, project certainty, and smarter capital planning.
• 303: PG&E's Aerial Inspection Program: Scaling Aerial Data for Wildfire Risk Management
  • PG&E shares how it is transforming its wildfire mitigation strategy through a scalable, programmatic aerial inspection program. By leveraging drones, high-resolution imagery, and advanced data analytics, PG&E is improving the accuracy, speed, and safety of inspecting transmission, distribution, and substation assets. 
    
    This session explores how aerial inspection and workflow automation enable more effective inspection processes and proactive risk detection. Real-world insights will highlight implementation challenges, key lessons learned, and measurable benefits including enhanced reliability and improved asset performance. 

Wednesday, September 24:

• 402: OUC Uses AI and Sensors to Improve Grid Performance and Reliability
  • Orlando Utility Commission shares how it’s using smart sensors and machine learning to strengthen grid reliability for hospitals, data centers, and high-demand customers. This session explores real examples of power quality monitoring, vegetation risk detection using drone data, and predictive transformer maintenance. The utility will also share how these technologies are helping reduce outages and improve service for critical loads.
• 403: Dominion Energy’s Transmission Hosting Capacity Platform
  • Dominion Energy shares how it developed a transmission-level hosting capacity platform to support DER growth and grid planning. This innovative software tool drastically reduces analysis time—from weeks to minutes—using flexible inputs, heatmaps, and scenario modeling. Learn how it’s being applied to identify load-serving capacity and inform interconnection decisions. The session will also cover implementation strategies, regulatory drivers, and lessons from the utility’s award-winning deployment.
• 401: Data Centers & the Grid: Debunking Myths, Exploring Real Impacts
  • As demand for data and digital services surges, utilities are navigating a new era of large load growth driven by hyperscale data centers. This session, led by AWS, will address common misconceptions about the energy, environmental, and social impacts of data centers—and reveal the reality of how cloud leaders and utilities can work together to deliver net benefits for the grid, customers, and communities. Backed by real-world case studies, AWS will share its approach to collaboration, investment in local infrastructure, and commitment to sustainability. Attendees will walk away with a clearer understanding of how to plan, partner, and prepare for the next wave of data center development.
• 503: Thought Leadership: Proactive by Design: Building Grid Intelligence to Prevent Outages and Wildfires
  • How digitization enables utilities to move from reactive fixes to predictive strategies – knowing risks before they escalate into failures to save up to 90% of current maintenance costs.

• 803: Digital Twins: Driving utility value from advanced remote sensing technology at PG&E

  • In partnership with Sharper Shape, PG&E is applying advanced AI algorithms to LiDAR data to automate key asset management tasks. This case study highlights how PG&E is improving accuracy and operational efficiency through AI-powered classification techniques for pole loading, asset conflation, lean detection, and more.

    By transitioning from manual field inspections to remote evaluations, PG&E is reducing costs, improving safety, and optimizing resource use. This session explores how automation is improving infrastructure reliability while enabling safer, smarter asset strategies at scale.