Peak Readiness Starts With Asset Planning

Summer peak readiness is becoming an asset management challenge.

T&D World reports that Con Edison is investing $3.9 billion in grid upgrades ahead of summer peak demand, including new transformers, cables, storm resilience measures, smart meters, switching technologies, and infrared inspections: https://www.tdworld.com/reliability-and-resiliency/news/55383683/con-edison-invests-39-billion-in-grid-upgrades-ahead-of-summer-peak-demand

For utilities, this is more than a seasonal reliability investment. It reflects the growing pressure to manage aging infrastructure, rising demand, extreme heat, storm exposure, and customer expectations at the same time.

Advanced grid technologies can improve visibility into asset condition, support outage management, and give operators more flexibility during peak conditions. But they also introduce new requirements around data management, cybersecurity, inspection workflows, and system integration.

As summer demand becomes harder to plan for, utilities need asset management strategies that look beyond individual upgrades. The challenge is understanding which assets are most exposed, where system stress is increasing, and how investments should be prioritized to strengthen reliability before peak conditions arrive.

Grid modernization creates the most value when utilities can connect infrastructure upgrades to measurable reliability, resilience, and operational performance outcomes.