AI and Innovation: Supercharging Grid Efficiency and Reliability

Electric utilities face mounting pressure to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective power to their customers while navigating the challenges of frequent and severe storm events, surging load growth driven largely by data centers, and cyber threats. Aging infrastructure and limited resources present major obstacles to utilities as they work to meet growing demands, control costs, and maintain service reliability. 

With too much to do and not enough time, money, or people to do it, electric utilities are looking for solutions, including AI and cloud-based technologies. Leidos, as a trusted engineering provider, is using our SkyWire™ suite of AI-enabled solutions to optimize engineering efforts and help utilities meet their most pressing needs. 

Using innovative technologies in planning 

Investing in a modernized grid fortifies and protects the grid. Grid resilience is one of our best defenses against both natural and manmade disasters. The advent of AI-enabled technology like Leidos’ SkyWire Planning allows utilities to cost-effectively design and plan a better grid by improving engineering efficiency and optimizing capital investments. 

By using AI-powered tools to accelerate and expand modeling and simulation, engineers can spend less time (and utilities can spend less capital) on modeling, forecasting, capital plan options, recommendations, and documentation, and focus on larger design, engineering, and investment decisions. When engineers have the tools to work smarter and faster in the engineering phase, it reduces the cost pressures utilities face during construction, operations, and maintenance. 

How AI and innovation solve distribution challenges

Utilities are balancing significant increases in distribution capital spending with a shortage in a skilled engineering workforce. To meet these pressing needs, Leidos leverages sophisticated automation tools that use existing resources to allow us to execute more work, faster.

Leveraging AI-enabled technologies, Leidos has developed a proprietary end-to-end platform to streamline the execution of fielding and design into one web-based platform: SkyWire Distribution. Designed with customization in mind, SkyWire can be developed to fully integrate with utilities’ existing platforms, increasing functionality and efficiency. The SkyWire platform is made up of two key components: an iOS fielding application and web-based design software. Field data and photos are collected and validated through the SkyWire fielding application with unparalleled accuracy. The captured data, photos, and field notes are then automatically uploaded to the SkyWire design platform. Once ready for engineering design, SkyWire uses sophisticated tools to accelerate important engineering steps and deliverables, including pole loading analysis, clearance analysis, automated construction prints, and permitting.  

AI-enabled transmission line solutions

The Department of Energy estimates that the power grid must double in size by the year 2050 to meet load growth demand driven by data centers and additional usage demands. To illustrate this in real terms, electric utilities must double the number of transmission lines across the U.S. from half a million to one million miles. Intensifying this need for growth is a very real shortage of skilled labor — presenting additional challenges for an industry already resource constrained.  

By harnessing a proprietary Leidos transmission line design solution – SkyWire Transmission – Leidos can evaluate multiple combinations of structures and conductors, as well as optimal locations for placement. This entire process can be completed in days, not months as is typical without the use of AI. This production speed empowers utilities to make smart capital decisions and address their most pressing transmission needs head-on, while exploring efficiency options not previously considered or available. 

Cybersecurity solutions bolstered by AI-enabled technologies 

As utilities adopt cutting-edge technologies, they inadvertently expose themselves to increased cybersecurity risks. Adversaries, including AI-enabled and sophisticated state-sponsored actors, perpetually seek out and exploit weaknesses within control systems, communication infrastructures, and software frameworks. 

Leidos offers AI-assisted defensive cyber solutions to protect the grid from cyberattack, including advanced persistent threats (APT). We provide innovative solutions, such as AI-enabled multi-layer security protection; advanced threat detection; real-time, evolving threat mitigation; vulnerability assessment, monitoring; and critical infrastructure visibility for Network Operations Center (NOC) / Security Operations Center (SOC) personnel. This proactive approach to threat detection enhances situational awareness and enables utilities to mitigate cyber threats before they escalate into full-blown incidents.

Deploying advanced monitoring tools and intrusion detection systems enables utilities to continuously monitor network traffic and detect potential cyber threats proactively. By leveraging real-time threat intelligence and offensive behavioral analytics, utilities can prevent novel cybersecurity events, not just react to them once they happen. 

Innovation and automation: Partnering for success

When electric utilities face complex challenges that demand innovative solutions, partnering with a forward-thinking organization like Leidos provides access to cutting-edge technologies and unparalleled expertise. By leveraging advanced automation tools and processes such as the SkyWire suite of solutions, we deliver rapid, accurate, and cost-effective results to utilities who are balancing capital budgets and accelerated project timelines. Additionally, Leidos designed SkyWire to integrate with existing technologies within the utilities. By tapping into sophisticated automation tools, utilities are now more able to meet their need to provide a stronger, more resilient grid.