The event was held 21 – 23 January 2025 in San Diego, California, USA.
The IEEE PES Grid Edge Technologies Conference & Exposition was held 2at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, USA. It brought together leading experts, researchers, and industry professionals to discuss critical developments in grid technology with a specific focus on electrification, renewable integration, and grid resilience.
The four-day event under the motto “Make new connections. Transform the edge.” featured a comprehensive schedule organized around several key themes that reflect the evolving energy landscape. Electrification emerged as a dominant focus, with multiple sessions dedicated to the challenges and opportunities of transportation electrification, fleet management, and the infrastructure required to support growing electric vehicle adoption.
Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) received significant attention throughout the conference. Various panels examined DER integration challenges, particularly around cybersecurity, aggregation for wholesale market participation, and the technological innovations making grid-edge DERs increasingly viable. The panel on “DER Gateways – Bridging the Gap Between Utility and DER” specifically addressed communication interface challenges.
Artificial Intelligence and data analytics featured prominently, with dedicated sessions on grid-edge applications. Presentations covered topics ranging from situational intelligence for network analysis to asset management optimization and digital twin implementations. The “AI Revolution Underway in Utilities” session demonstrated how AI is transforming operations across utility functions.
Grid resilience in the face of climate change was another key theme, with multiple panels addressing wildfire mitigation, extreme weather response, and maintaining grid stability with high renewable penetration. The special breaking news panel on wildfires underscored the urgency of these challenges.
The conference structure balanced technical depth with networking opportunities, including daily breakfast networking sessions, a California wine and cheese reception, and dedicated exhibit floor time. The innovative “Start Up Lightning Pitch” sessions, spread across the event, showcased emerging technologies and entrepreneurial solutions.
Notable speakers included industry leaders from utilities (SDG&E, SCE, PG&E), technology companies (Microsoft, Landis+Gyr), research institutions (Sandia National Labs, NREL, MIT), and regulatory bodies. The diversity of participants illustrated the multidisciplinary approach needed to address modern grid challenges.
As the energy sector continues its transformation toward decarbonization and digitalization, GE-2025 demonstrated the industry’s commitment to collaborative innovation and practical implementation of advanced grid technologies.
