Into the Future

As the industry embraces more distributed products, utilities are rethinking the operation and utilization of these solutions as they expand from the historic focus on building grid-edge capacity toward leveraging comprehensive flexibility. Advanced orchestration of DERs—across generation and transmission providers, distribution utilities, and end-use microgrids—demands new levels of coordination, shared visibility, and integrated data streams.

This session brings together OATI utility partners, including TVA and Oklahoma Gas & Electric, to explore the spectrum of approaches utilities are taking to get the most out of DERMS. Panelists will explore how dynamic DERMS capabilities are evolving beyond simple price-based dispatch toward systemwide situational awareness, multi-party operational alignment, and sophisticated control strategies that enhance reliability, flexibility, and customer participation.

Attendees will gain insight into lessons learned, emerging practices, and the collaborative approaches required across different stages of DERMS maturity to unlock the full value of distributed resources.

Key Takeaways

• How utilities are progressing along the DERMS maturity curve, from foundational demand response and coordination programs to more dynamic, multi-layer grid orchestration.
• What “shared visibility” means at different stages of DER integration and why high-fidelity data streams are becoming essential for both transmission and distribution operators.
• Practical insights from TVA, OG&E, and other OATI partners on building the operational, organizational, and technical frameworks needed to support evolving DER strategies.
• Strategies to maximize system flexibility while maintaining reliability across increasingly complex and decentralized grids.
• Lessons learned from real deployments, including where the biggest value has emerged so far and how utilities anticipate DERMS capabilities will advance in the coming years.