(Shelton, CT December 12, 2024) For U.S. utilities, the new year will bring a new, yet familiar, administration to the White House, along with a host of fresh energy priorities. President-elect Donald Trump has all but promised a war with clean energy, but what’s in store for transmission and distribution utilities – the companies on the frontlines of the energy transition – is more challenging to decipher, experts say.

John Engel, editor-in-chief of DISTRIBUTECH®, North America’s largest transmission and distribution event, expects rapid innovation by the T&D industry to continue, fueled by evolving customer demands, renewable energy expansion, and the growth of data centers to power artificial intelligence tools.

“Utilities live in a highly regulated environment – both at the state and federal level, so of course they’re watching closely how the incoming Trump administration will impact their businesses,” Engel said. “But the train has left the station on a couple of fronts: utilities big and small are committed to embracing smart grid technologies to improve reliability and resilience, and demand for electricity is only going to increase in the coming years due to the data center boom.”

DISTRIBUTECH®, which will be held in Dallas, Texas March 24-27, 2025, is the home for more than 20,000 of the world’s utility leaders and power grid technology providers to share innovations, network, and strategize. In the lead up to the event, which is open to the media, Engel discussed insights shared by utility executives charged with navigating an increasingly complex energy system.

Many of the largest utilities, Engel said, are finally ready to release AI from the proverbial “sandbox” –further integrating these tools into grid operations, data analysis, and customer engagement processes, like billing and communications. Grid congestion remains a critical challenge, both for renewable energy developers aiming to link new solar, wind, and battery projects to the grid, and for tech giants sprinting to turn on the data centers critical for supporting the digital world.

“There seems to be a consensus within the utility industry that, even during a second Trump administration, much of the progress in the effort to develop a ‘smart grid’ will continue,” Engel said. “Bipartisan support for permitting reform is likely a boon for desperately needed transmission expansion, and the president-elect’s alignment with technology heavyweights, like Elon Musk, could be an overall positive for the T&D industry.”

To be sure, there will undoubtedly be a shift in tone at the federal level around climate change, Engel noted. Utilities are likely to reimagine messaging around clean energy solutions to highlight power grid resilience. While Trump is no clean energy ally, the largest technology companies continue to pursue clean energy resources to meet their power needs and will remain the primary industry driver.

“Utility leaders have to be nimble, adapting to political winds with prudent decisions that ultimately benefit their customers and investors,” Engel said. “That’s why DTECH exists: they need an environment where technology innovation meets knowledge sharing. We’re honored to provide this critical resource to the industry, which is amid unprecedented change.”

DTECH 2025 takes place March 24-27 in Dallas, Texas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and will cover automation & control systems, energy efficiency, transmission & distribution, utility technology, and more. This event attracts professionals from electric utilities to enhance their knowledge of the transmission and distribution industry. Learn more at distributech.com.

Contact Mike Keating at Vertical, Incorporated to connect with John Engel and other energy transmission and distribution experts prior to DTECH.