As distribution systems evolve to meet growing demand and changing customer needs, utilities are balancing aging infrastructure with the need for greater resilience, smarter technologies, and more flexible planning. From electrification and data center growth to extreme weather and digital transformation, today's challenges require new approaches to building and operating the distribution grid.
These priorities were at the center of discussions during CEATI's Spring 2026 Distribution Equipment & Planning General Meeting, which brought together 42 members and guests in person and 9 members virtually, representing 20 organizations. The meeting—the program's first in-person gathering in several years—featured technical presentations on grid resiliency as well as tours of Kinectrics' laboratories and S&C Electric's Belfield Manufacturing Plant.
Five key priorities emerged.
1. Improving underground cable reliability and asset management
As underground cable systems age, utilities are placing greater emphasis on understanding failure modes, improving condition assessment, and determining when assets should be repaired, refurbished, or replaced. Risk-based asset management and better diagnostic tools are becoming increasingly important for extending asset life while maintaining reliability.
2. Building a more resilient distribution grid
Extreme weather and vegetation-related outages continue to challenge distribution systems across North America. Utilities are evaluating storm hardening strategies—including undergrounding, stronger materials, improved inspections, and enhanced vegetation management—to improve reliability and strengthen grid resilience.
3. Leveraging AI and digital inspection technologies
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, drones, and advanced analytics are creating new opportunities for asset inspections, predictive maintenance, and condition assessment. Utilities are increasingly exploring how these technologies can improve decision-making while making maintenance programs more proactive and efficient.
4. Planning for electrification and rapid load growth
Urban expansion, electric vehicles, and large new loads such as data centers are placing increasing pressure on distribution networks. Members discussed the need for improved load forecasting, feeder-level planning, and long-term capacity management to support future growth while maintaining reliable service.
5. Accelerating grid modernization
Utilities continue to modernize operational systems through SCADA and ADMS upgrades, better integration of AMI data, and enhanced system visibility. These investments are helping improve outage detection, operational awareness, and real-time decision-making as distribution systems become more complex.
What does this mean for utilities?
The distribution grid is becoming more interconnected, data-driven, and resilient. Successfully managing this transition will require utilities to combine sound asset management with modern technologies, strategic planning, and cross-functional collaboration.
Through benchmarking initiatives, technical projects, knowledge-sharing sessions, and collaborative discussions, CEATI continues to help members address today's distribution challenges while preparing for the grid of the future.
Interested in learning more? Explore CEATI's Distribution Equipment & Planning Program to access benchmarking initiatives, technical reports, webinars, and collaborative projects supporting distribution system planning and modernization.
