Overview
This executive brief summarises key findings and recommendations from an evaluation of the GridVisibility Platform, a high-resolution, time-synchronised data platform designed to improve visibility into grid availability, stability and performance. The brief focuses on how the technology can support Vermont Electric Power Company, Vermont Electric Cooperative and ISO-NE as Vermont’s grid becomes more dynamic.
The resource explores how improved transmission-distribution visibility can support situational awareness, transmission planning, operational decision-making and long-term reliability as distributed energy resources, electric vehicles, virtual power plants and other grid-edge technologies become more common.
Why it matters
Vermont’s electric grid is changing quickly as more DERs, EVs, VPPs and other grid-edge technologies connect across the system. These technologies create new opportunities, but they also make it harder to understand how transmission and distribution systems are interacting in real time.
The brief highlights that historically fragmented data has limited visibility between transmission and distribution systems. Improving that visibility is important for maintaining reliability, supporting grid planning and helping utilities adapt to a more dynamic, distributed and technology-enabled grid.
Key challenges explored
The brief examines several issues related to grid visibility and monitoring, including:
Limited high-resolution measurement data across transmission-distribution interfaces
Fragmented visibility across utility systems
The growing impact of DERs and grid-edge technologies
The cost and scale challenges of distribution-level monitoring
Technology limitations around voltage-only sensors and broadband-based placement
Cybersecurity and NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection considerations
The need for collaboration between utilities, system operators, technology providers and broadband infrastructure owners
Questions this resource helps answer
This resource helps stakeholders consider questions such as:
How can utilities improve visibility between transmission and distribution systems?
What role can high-resolution sensor data play in grid planning and operations?
How can new monitoring platforms support DER integration and grid-edge visibility?
What are the strengths and limitations of broadband-connected grid sensors?
How can utilities use event data, model validation and forensic analysis to improve reliability?
What should utilities consider when piloting or scaling new grid monitoring technologies?
What the brief covers
The brief provides a practical summary of the GridVisibility Platform evaluation and recommendations for future use.
Key sections include:
Vermont’s changing energy landscape
Assessment of GridVisibility Platform technology
Strengths, opportunities and limitations
2024 pilot deployments
Recommendations for VELCO, VEC and ISO-NE
Priority actions for high-impact use cases
Additional actions for pilot deployments and non-CIP environments
Conclusion and postscript on the transition from Gridmetrics to GridVisibility
Key findings and recommendations
The brief identifies several strengths of the GridVisibility Platform, including its ability to handle large volumes of data, deploy quickly without utility outages and provide cross-domain visibility when combined with existing monitoring systems.
It also recommends focusing on high-impact offline engineering use cases such as forensic event analysis and dynamic model validation, improving data accessibility and compatibility with existing workflows, and maintaining strong collaboration between VELCO, VEC, ISO-NE and other partners.
Who this resource is for
This brief may be useful for:
Utilities
Transmission planners
Distribution utilities
System operators
Grid modernization teams
DER integration teams
Utility technology and innovation teams
Regulators and policymakers
Cybersecurity and compliance teams
Grid monitoring and data analytics stakeholders