IEEE PES T&D 2024: Accelerating the Grid of the Future

Utilities — unlike nearly any other companies in the world — don’t compete with one another, swinging open the door of opportunity for knowledge sharing and collaboration. From May 6-9, 2024, in Anaheim, California, attendees from around the world can share experiences and learn from each other at the 2024 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Power Engineering Society (PES) Transmission & Distribution Conference and Exposition.

“We have a tremendously powerful network we leverage,” said Joseph Svachula, SVP Transmission and Compliance at Exelon, and IEEE PES Transmission and Distribution Conference & Exposition director. “Many of the topics and panels will discuss real-world experiences of utilities.”

California, the host of this year’s biennial conference, is at the leading edge of the clean energy transition, Svachula said. “It’s been 28 years since the IEEE PES T&D was held in California, so we are hoping to have over 13,000 attendees from more than 70 countries around the world.”

Manuel Avendaño, senior engineering manager-transmission planning for Southern California Edison (SCE), the IEEE PES T&D 2024 Host Utility and the T&D local organizing committee co-chair, said power industry professionals should consider attending the event for three reasons. First, they can gain new technical knowledge from the exhibit floor and the panel sessions. Next, they can network with other technology professionals and industry experts around the world and finally, they can meet exhibitors from across the globe.

Learning About New Technologies

At the event, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from the leaders within the industry during the Super Sessions, sit in on 45 panel sessions addressing the hottest industry topics like resiliency, artificial intelligence, climate change and grid modernization and sign up for half-day and full-day tutorials to earn continuing education units.

The IEEE PES show follows the mission of the PES to be the leading provider of scientific and 
engineering information on electric power and energy for the betterment of society. To that end, all the technical content like panels and papers, are subject to the IEEE peer review process, which focuses on the technology and not the organization developing it, Svachula said.

“The PES T&D Conference technical program has been established to give the utility engineers the information they need to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively,” said John McDaniel, principal engineer at National Grid and PES T&D technical program committee chair.

While attendees will be able to soak up knowledge during the technical sessions, they will also be able to learn about best practices and technologies through the technical tours sponsored by SCE and the city of Anaheim Public Utilities. Attendees can select between six off-site technical tours, said Ana Hafiz, engineering manager substation standards at SCE and technical tours chair.

The locations include the Anaheim GIS Indoor Underground Substation; the SCE Mesa Air Insulated Substation; the Port of Long Beach; the Irwindale Energy Edu-cation Center and Emergency Operations Center; the Reliability Utility Owned Energy System at the Hinson Substation; and the Center Peaker to see the world’s first low-emission hybrid battery storage, gas turbine peaker system. For these tours, space is limited, and separate registration is required.

Discovering Innovation

Attendees for the event, slated for May 6-9, 2024, in Anaheim, will not only be able to earn CEU and professional development hours by attending the technical program, but they will also be able to explore the latest innovative technologies and services on the exhibit hall floor.

“The 2024 IEEE PES T&D show floor is officially the largest ever,” Svachula said. “As a result, with over 200 new exhibitors, we will have the widest display of next-gen technologies with more exhibitors than any other industry event in the U.S.”

Attendees can browse the exhibits of more than 800 exhibiting companies on the show floor. “These exhibitors will take over 260,000 sq ft of exhibit space focusing on all aspects of transmission and distribution products and services ranging from the cutting-edge technologies in the Grid Edge Technology Pavilion and covering 80-plus product categories,” Svachula said.

The exhibit floor is never the same from one show to the next, he added. “The industry is on the precipice of transformative change in how the needs of customers and communities are met. The 800-plus exhibitors will be demonstrating new technology and products that are making tomorrow’s grid today’s reality.”

At the 2022 conference, the Smart Cities Stage was one of the most popular locations, McDaniel said. “We expanded that to three different opportunities for 2024 including Grid Edge Technologies, Renewable Resources and Innovation Stages.”

Because the IEEE PES T&D Conference & Exposition has been a successful event, the organizing committee doesn’t want to change what worked. At the same time, they want to increase value for those who are attending. “We added lunch to the exhibit hall and expanded the exhibit floor stages, which gives the attendees more of an opportunity to interact with exhibitors and each other,” Svachula said.

Connecting and Collaborating

Whether they just started out in the power industry or have years of experience, attendees can network and make connections during the event’s social events.

“The social networking activities at PES T&D are always memorable,” said Editha Toms, customer service advisor at SCE and activities chair for the PES local organizing committee. “The opening reception will be held at the Disneyland Hotel so attendees can have the opportunity to experience the magic of Disney while in Anaheim.”

In addition, the organizers will continue the tradition of having a networking reception on the exhibit floor on Wednesday, May 8, and for the first time, lunch will be made available to attendees in the exhibit hall on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The PES T&D Local Organizing Committee has also launched a program for its up-and-coming attendees including networking events, resume building, information on LinkedIn and interviewing tips, a poster session and reception.

“We have been working hard to establish a program that is focused on the needs of collegiate and young professionals in the power and energy industry,” said Gianela Gozalo, senior compliance engineer at SCE and student activities char for the PES local organizing committee.

To encourage utilities to send as many employees as possible to the event, IEEE PES is once again offering the T&D Utility Saver Package. The package will allow companies to send 10 utility employees with full conference registration for $1,000 or five utility employees for $750.

The 2024 IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition in Anaheim, California, is essential to unlocking the power of the industry, Svachula said. “You can expect to connect with leading experts during countless networking opportunities, explore groundbreaking products, technologies and services across what is shaping up to be our largest exhibit floor ever, and experience unmatched technical education.”

Editor’s Note:  For the updated exhibitor list and floor plan and to register online visit https://ieeet-d.org/attendee/why-attend-td/pricing-info/.