T&D World Live Podcast: Powering the Future: The Evolution of Grid Strategy & Data-Driven Utilities
Listen to the Episode
In this episode of T&D World Live, host Nikki Chandler sits down with Elizabeth Cook, Vice President of Technical Strategy at the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC), to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the modern power grid.
Elizabeth shares her two-decade journey in the energy industry, starting as a power system engineering consultant before moving into transmission and distribution planning at a utility in Pittsburgh, PA. She highlights her experience managing system planning, ensuring grid reliability, and overseeing large infrastructure projects such as substation development.
A key theme of the discussion is the growing integration of transmission and distribution systems, a shift that has accelerated in recent years. Elizabeth explains how utilities traditionally treated these as separate domains, but the rise of large-scale renewables, dynamic loads, and distributed energy resources (DERs) is forcing a more holistic approach.
The conversation also explores how data is revolutionizing grid management. With advanced analytics, utilities can enhance situational awareness from bulk power generation to the grid’s edge. Elizabeth emphasizes the need for industry collaboration and knowledge-sharing to navigate this rapidly evolving landscape.
Reflecting on the industry's transformation, she notes the rapid adoption of inverter-based resources like wind, solar, and battery storage, as well as the increasing role of computational power in grid operations. She highlights the challenge of integrating new technologies while ensuring grid reliability in an industry historically slow to change due to its critical societal role.
Looking ahead, Elizabeth sees communication and data-sharing as essential to enabling the next generation of grid solutions, ensuring utilities can adapt to fast-moving technological advancements while maintaining stability and resilience.
You can also listen to the other episodes of T&D World Live by going to https://tanddworld.podbean.com/.
