The DTECH Utility Resilience Awards were created to honor the people and projects that have helped transform resilience from a backroom engineering goal into the defining frontline challenge of our industry. They highlight the visionaries who aren’t just addressing these challenges in the present, but are rewiring the entire ecosystem for the future.

This year’s Utility Resilience Awards were presented at DTECH Reliability & Resilience on August 30th, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois. The awards shine a spotlight on breakthrough strategies, cutting-edge technologies, and bold leadership redefining grid reliability at a time when resiliency is a frontline challenge across the industry. They celebrate the individuals, teams, and projects driving real-world value on the ground right now while also building the definitive blueprint for tomorrow.

The first award went to a team demonstrating that grid resilience isn’t defined in a lab, but is forged in the field.

Project DeLorean is a multi-million-dollar, multi-year initiative in which Ehsan Estiri and his team at utility Georgia Power partnered with EPRI to evaluate advanced grid monitoring and diagnostic technologies under actual operating conditions. By getting hands-on experience with 10 distinct technologies, including seven unique sensor systems, this team isn’t just gathering data- it’s building deep, real-world grid visibility.

What makes this effort stand out is its dynamic, solution-driven approach. When evaluating transformer monitoring, the team didn’t limit itself; instead, it expanded its scope to test whether AMI data could deliver insights comparable to those from dedicated sensors, continually seeking the most effective, scalable path forward. That flexible approach, aimed at identifying the most effective and scalable solutions, is one that utilities can learn from at every level. 

Now in its fourth and final year, Project DeLorean is already providing the industry with a practical blueprint for matching the right technology to the right application. Please join me in congratulating Ehsan Estiri and the team behind the DeLorean project!

The second and final award recipient is proving that long-term sustainability and grid reliability aren’t competing priorities, but are actually two sides of the same coin.

Michigan utility Consumers Energy is being recognized for its forward-thinking Clean Energy Plan, a comprehensive strategy designed to build a cleaner, more resilient electric grid for communities across the state. The initiative reflects a true understanding that resilience can’t be an afterthought. By seamlessly pairing expanded renewable generation and energy storage with aggressive grid modernization, Consumers is tackling frontline operational challenges head-on while driving down emissions. 

Such an integrated approach demonstrates that true grid resilience isn’t just about hardening existing assets for today’s weather, but instead requires a flexible, diversified energy portfolio designed to absorb shocks, adapt to shifting loads, and keep the power on tomorrow. Consumers Energy is setting a powerful, practical blueprint for how utilities can advance clean energy, affordability, and rock-solid reliability side by side.

This year’s DTECH Utility Resilience Awards have shown us that grid resilience isn’t a passive target or a standard box to check, but is an active, ongoing effort driven by bold leadership, real-world field testing, and forward-looking strategy. The work happening on the ground today is directly shaping how our entire industry will weather extreme conditions and power the future. Thank you to our winners, our nominees, and to all of you for driving our industry forward every day.

This conversation is only just getting started. We’ll be carrying this momentum forward to recognize other people and projects at DTECH Northeast, and we’re gearing up to celebrate industry pioneers in an entirely new way at our flagship annual DTECH event. So if you know of a project, an operator, or a breakthrough that deserves to be showcased, get in touch with our team to learn more about upcoming nomination windows and future award opportunities.

Speaking of DTECH, while reliability and resilience will remain at the very heart of the main show’s program, they’ll also take center stage as a theme for one of the new Summits taking place on the last day of DTECH 2027. This new format will provide everyone with a unique opportunity to zoom in on the specific frontline challenges, technology breakthroughs, and operational strategies that matter most. Stay tuned for more details on the timing and focus for our 2027 Summits taking place next March in Atlanta, Georgia.