Transmission Stress Testing the Grid With a Digital Twin (Xcel Energy)
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Feb 10, 2026 Marcus Johansson, a senior Xcel Energy executive leading digital transformation and wildfire mitigation. He discusses how digital twins let utilities rehearse extreme weather, wildfire scenarios, and load surges. Conversations cover predictive maintenance, AMI-driven alerts, capital optimization, and a SimCity-style distribution model for future grid planning.
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Digital Twin Enables Scenario Rehearsal
- A digital twin is a virtual replica of transmission and distribution networks that layers operational, asset health, and environmental data.
- It enables simulation-driven scenario analysis for storms, wildfires, and load changes beyond static dashboards.
Simulate Local Load With AMI Data
- Use AMI interval data to simulate local load changes and spot transformer or feeder weaknesses before failures occur.
- Run short-term and long-term simulations to decide maintenance, replacements, or infrastructure upgrades.
Meters Tell You Outages Before Calls
- AMI 'last gasp' telemetry detects sustained outages before customers call, speeding crew dispatch and reducing outage time.
- Early detection shortens truck rolls and improves customer satisfaction and reliability.