With a record-breaking attendance of over 17,000 people, DISTRIBUTECH 2023 was re-energizing! Customers, partners and energy industry leaders gathered in San Diego, California to share knowledge, identify solutions and prepare for both the challenges and opportunities ahead as utilities and cities move toward a decarbonized energy landscape.

To kick off the conference, our president and CEO Tom Deitrich, welcomed attendees and discussed key trends including the power of data to help utilities improve service delivery and reach sustainability goals. In addition, he previewed the increasing focus for utilities on decarbonization and energy diversification as well as the need for innovation and creative collective thinking to build a smarter energy future. Tom also emphasized the importance of city and utility collaboration moving forward as a key piece to the energy transformation puzzle.

Attendees were invited to stop by the Itron booth and experience what’s possible with our proven portfolio of intelligent devices, smart, foundational networks, and software and services. Our booth – which was hopping the whole conference – highlighted how Itron solutions lend insight into the least visible part of the distribution system in the most cost-effective way possible, the breadth of capabilities our distributed intelligence platform has to offer, the network of people and companies that make up the Itron Partner Ecosystem as well as the distributed energy management solutions that help better measure, monitor and orchestrate distributed energy resources (DERs) across the grid.

Pictured below is an electric vehicle (EV) that was on display in the Itron booth. As the adoption of DERs such as EVs, solar, battery, etc. rapidly accelerates, utilities need to actively prepare for their impact on the resiliency and reliability of the grid. To help utilities address this, Itron showcased the DER Optimizer, which enables utilities to manage a wide range of DERs including EVs, smart inverters, battery storage systems and other flexible loads. The DER Optimizer’s real-time analytics and optimization engine allow utilities to strategically grow their program portfolio and can improve grid stabilization, power quality, pipeline management and conservation efforts.

As with year’s past, DISTRIBUTECH also offered a great variety of speaking engagements for industry leaders to share insights, project successes and key lessons learned. Itron and our customers participated in various breakout and Knowledge Hub sessions, covering everything from how grid edge technologies are changing the game for utilities on grid modernization journeys to how distributed intelligence is enabling cities and utilities to maximize the benefits of next-generation AMI.

There is no replacement for time spent sharing ideas, perspectives and solutions to achieve a smarter energy future. Thank you to everyone who joined us in San Diego and for making this year the most memorable and inspiring DISTRIBUTECH to date. Together, we can create more connected communities and pave the way for a more resourceful world. See you next year!