North American utilities boost grid resiliency with new technologies

Canada’s electrical grid faces rising pressure from electric‑vehicle adoption, data‑centre expansion, renewable‑energy integration and extreme cold weather. 3M executives note that the existing infrastructure struggles to meet these loads, prompting a shift toward multi‑directional power flows, load‑flexibility, predictive analytics, battery storage and other advanced solutions to modernise the grid.

In the United States, Texas utility Oncor Electric Delivery has selected Emerson’s AspenTech Digital Grid Management suite, including an Advanced Distribution Management System and network‑model tools, to improve real‑time visibility, outage response and interoperability with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The upgrades aim to enhance long‑term resilience and support the region’s growing energy demand.