The new hardware, software systems, and tools on display on the conference floor in Orlando at DISTRIBUTECH 2024 were enough to keep eager attendees excited during the entire week. One such booth that had regular demonstrations of its latest and greatest Digital Grid Management software solutions was OSI, an AspenTech business, keeping onlookers occupied to watch what the next generation of Generation, Transmission, and Distribution utility operators could envision to advance operations technology within the utility control room of the future.

The digital transformation for the utility sector has unequivocally advanced beyond the stage of being a mere component of future plans or simply a researched hypothetical. Traversing the halls of the 2024 DISTRIBUTECH conference in Orlando this February, it seemed that not a single conversation or presentation wasn’t touching on the power of data for utilities, the existing artificial intelligence (AI) tools that are transforming day-to-day operations, the value of geographic information systems (GIS) playing a role in asset management and maintenance, or another advanced digital tool that aids in the advancement of the industry.

A recently released special issue of Energy Central (read it here) discusses how utilities are embracing cutting-edge technologies to transform how they operate and serve their customers. In turn, these benefits help utilities deliver on the vision of a resilient and affordable clean energy future. Hear the perspectives of industry experts discussing how private LTE networks are fueling a wide and growing ecosystem of products, services, devices, and applications directly focused on addressing utility operational challenges and improving the customer experience.