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A Turning Point in Grid Modernization:
Making Data Interoperability the New
Normal for Utilities
By Peter Londa
Announcing the Tantalus Grid Modernization Platform™
On January 30, 2024, Tantalus officially launched the Tantalus Grid Modernization Platform (TGMP™), a
breakthrough technology platform that helps utilities accelerate their grid modernization efforts. The
platform includes a smart grid architecture comprised of connected devices, communications networks,
grid data management, applications and analytics. In parallel we launched our TRUSync™ Grid Data
Management System, which automates the integration of grid data across any device, any system and
even any vendor, including smart appliances located behind the meter.
Together, our platform delivers new levels of visibility, command and control across the entire grid and
helps unify Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) deployed by utilities without
extremely costly, complex and time-consuming manual data integration projects. That is why this
announcement is not just a major milestone for Tantalus—it represents a quantum leap forward for the
entire industry.
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The mandate to modernize the distribution grid
Every utility already knows that aging infrastructure is being further strained by the increasing frequency
of extreme weather, the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) and the deployment of Distributed Energy
Resources (DERs). Coupled with an increasing push towards decarbonization through electrification, a
host of operating and financial challenges are forcing utilities to think differently.
In 2023, we issued our first inaugural Utility of the Future survey, which quantified the priorities and
concerns of 116 utilities and which ones they felt least prepared to resolve. Despite slight variations in
the findings from one utility to the next, one conclusion united them all- the time is now to modernize
the distribution grid. More than nine out of ten utilities felt grid modernization was a priority (half of all
utilities, in fact, called it a “high priority”).
Despite that conclusion, only one in nine of those surveyed felt completely prepared for modernizing
their grids. That may be why more government funding is being made available to help accelerate these
efforts. The National Conference of State Legislatures concluded that with 60% of U.S. distribution lines
already past their 50-year life expectancy, the U.S. will need to spend up to $2 trillion on grid
modernization by 2030 just to maintain the reliability of the electric grid. Meanwhile, the top 25
Investor-Owned Utilities are expected to invest approximately $5.9 billion on grid modernization in 2024
alone. Grid modernization is a growing and undeniable need.
When evaluating the operational and financial benefits of grid modernization, it is easy to understand
why this initiative is becoming so mission critical for so many utilities.
The undeniable benefits of grid modernization
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) outlines six elements that the modern grid must deliver:
• Greater resilience to hazards of all types;
• Enhanced security from an increasing and evolving number of threats;
• Superior flexibility to respond to variability and uncertain conditions;
• Improved reliability for everyday operations;
• Additional affordability to maintain our economic prosperity and ensuring equitable access to
services across an entire community; and
• Increased sustainability through energy-efficient and renewable resources.
To achieve these six elements, grid modernization will take time, money and resources. In some cases,
utilities lack the skill sets required to support modernization because the modern grid is much more
complex than many people realize. There are so many disparate devices, systems and vendors involved
in deploying, operating and maintaining a grid of any size - and each one of those devices, systems and
vendors relies on various protocols and applications, which leads to further complexity to manage the
grid.
Investments being made are leading utilities to the same realization- the grid cannot be modernized
when data is trapped across systems and devices that were never designed or deployed to be
interoperable in the first place.
The real problem: Fragmented data from disparate systems
If a utility cannot access and visualize all of the available data from systems managing substations,
feeders, sensors, meters, DERs and smart appliances located behind-the-meter in a unified manner, that
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creates a real problem. In order to modernize the grid, utilities have to be able to leverage all the data
generated from all the devices deployed across the entire grid. But utilities cannot do that without a
single version of the truth about what is happening across all of their operations.
Further, the edge of the grid is quickly expanding to devices located behind the meter. Inverters for
roof-top solar and storage devices, EV chargers and other smart appliances are becoming increasingly
common across parts of the United States. As these devices are deployed behind the meter, there is an
increasing amount of data tied to various protocols and often tied to proprietary systems that are not
aligned to true interoperability. These new devices, while intending to reduce carbon footprints and
energy costs, will lead to further unpredictability and risk to utilities if left unmanaged.
In other words, the real problem to solve is the fragmentation of data arising from discrete systems that
are being deployed from the substation down to the meter and now inside the home. That is why the
Tantalus Grid Modernization Platform includes a critical layer, the TRUSync Grid Data Management
System.
The real solution: Grid data management that powers grid modernization
TRUSync is a breakthrough middleware solution that automates the integration of all utility data across
systems, devices and vendors. Building on the technology we secured through our acquisition of
Congruitive in early 2022, TRUSync allows utilities to unify all the data captured from systems deployed
throughout the grid into one interface that provides a single version of the truth and gives utilities the
visibility, command and control they need.
In technical terms, TRUSync provides a federated data fabric with grid-level security and IoT scalability
and helps with data aggregation and coordination. In financial terms, utilities can leverage existing
systems to accelerate the modernization of the distribution grid with a platform-based approach.
Because TRUSync enables utilities to mitigate the cost and risk of leaving existing systems behind, more
utilities are prioritizing this kind of approach.
However, not all grid data management systems are the same. That is why we believe it is important to
know what to look for in a system geared towards interoperability. Based on our discussions with
utilities, industry experts and partners, here is what utilities need a grid data management system to
deliver:
• True interoperability across any device, any system, any vendor and any data protocol (including
devices and systems located behind the meter);
• Cost savings and lower total cost of operations across the grid;
• A single version of the truth that bridges the systems and devices across every aspect of a
utility’s operations, including the traditional gap between IT and OT;
• Unparalleled scalability in terms of memory, processing power and storage;
• Enhanced data services, like data concentration and aggregation; and
• Utility-grade security.
Data-centric, not device-centric
In order to modernize, utilities must shift their perspective from traditionally being device-centric to
becoming data-centric. The challenge confronting utilities seeking to modernize their grid is data
management, not a lack of powerful connected and intelligent devices. Grid modernization requires the
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integration of increasing volumes of data from a growing number of connected devices in a synchronized
manner.
Further, the approach utilities take to achieve data interoperability needs to be device- and system-
agnostic. Otherwise, utilities risk getting locked into a single solution or vendor and lose the flexibility to
deploy the most cost-effective and innovative solutions in the future.
By offering a modular approach in which utilities only buy what they need, TGMP enables utilities to be
more surgical and strategic in their deployments while minimizing the cost of prematurely abandoning
existing investments and assets. Also, by including TRUSync as part of all our solutions (and even
offering it as a standalone solution), we can deliver unprecedented levels of visibility, command and
control and the most flexible and affordable path to grid modernization.
In fact, this is such an important moment in time that Tantalus has rebranded our existing solutions and
mapped each offering against our TGMP architecture. This way, utilities can not only build towards a
common platform, but also can purchase only what they need to fill in the missing pieces of their own
grid modernization platform. Our rebranded solutions include:
• TRUConnect™: Our suite of purpose-built communications network solutions, including (but not
limited to) our AMI network, with robust edge computing to integrate a wide range of field devices
and meters deployed by electric and multi-commodity utilities.
• TRUGrid™ Automation: Our rapidly expanding suite of data analytics that leverage AI to anticipate
and proactively respond to challenges arising from failing distribution equipment, such as
transformers, extreme weather events or imbalances between the supply and demand of electricity.
• TRUFlex™ Load+DER Management: Our solution to help utilities manage a wide variety of
residential and commercial loads responsively, reliably, and flexibly while reducing costs associated
with power outages and improving operational efficiencies.
• TRUSense Gateway™: Our innovative suite of collar-based connected devices that deliver AMI 2.0
functionality without unnecessarily ripping and replacing existing meters. These devices also capture
substation-level power quality measurements at the meter socket and deliver a utility-dedicated
and secure connection to DERs and smart appliances located behind the meter. TRUSense Gateways
also enhance investments in fiber-to-the-home broadband initiatives.
Making data interoperability the new normal
This is a pivotal moment for Tantalus, our user community and our partners, and we could not have
arrived at this approach without the hard work and dedication of our team and forward-thinking
customers.
Together, we are helping utilities harness the power of data. Together, we are making data
interoperability the new normal and making grid modernization a reality—for the hundreds of utilities
we support and the local communities they serve.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks and months for updates on our progress. Meanwhile, if you would like
to explore what the Tantalus Grid Modernization Platform can do for you and your community, please
contact us at TantalusInfo@tantalus.com.