Industry forecasts project as much as 15%load growth across the U.S.electric grid over the coming years.For distribution managers,that growth raises a fundamental question:How do we build,maintain,and—when things go wrong—restore the system faster and more reliably with the resources we have?
After spending years in field and regional operations roles at investor-owned utilities,I’ve learned that restoration success isn’t just about having more crews or bigger budgets.It’s about resiliency,situational awareness,and equipping frontline managers with the right tools and information to make decisions quickly.
Every time a crew restores service,the work generates data—callout logs,outage causes,crew response times,and customer feedback.There is more that can be done with this information if it could be quickly put at a distribution manager’s fingertips.With the right approach,utilities can extract patterns from that data to improve future planning,reduce unnecessary truck rolls,and even shorten outages.
Even large investor-owned utilities with extensive resources can benefit from rethinking how restoration is approached.Based on my experience,here are three practical recommendations for utilities to consider for 2026.
Improve Outage Intelligence at Point of Contact
Many utilities still rely on after-hours call centers staffed by operators with little or no utility background.These operators are often the first human point of contact when customers experience an outage.When those calls are handled without technical context,inaccurate information can quickly cascade into inefficient restoration.
Customers,understandably,don’t speak in utility terms.They may report a“broken guidewire”when they really mean a guy wire.Or they describe flickering lights without realizing they’re seeing symptoms of recloser action.If the call taker doesn’t know what clarifying questions to ask,the result can be a poorly documented outage ticket—and an unnecessary or misdirected crew dispatch.
Utilities have two viable paths forward.One is investing to train call center staff on basic distribution concepts,so they can capture more accurate information.The other is adopting technology that can triage,consolidate,and enrich outage reports,grouping multiple calls tied to the same incident and filtering out noise.
When operators—or automated systems—can interact with customers and capture photos,videos,or more detailed descriptions from customers,the quality of information passed to crews improves dramatically.A foreman who knows not just that a tree limb is on a conductor,but where and how large,can plan restoration far more efficiently than one rolling at 2 a.m.with just the basics(i.e.,customer name,address,cursory description of the outage).
Turn Outage Data into Planning Insights
Utilities always restore power.The area to improve is by systematically learning from restoration events once the lights are back on.Traditionally,a field operations manager who wanted to understand outage patterns along a feeder might need to request a report from a business analyst using tools like Power BI.While valuable,that process takes time;sometimes a month passes before a manager receives the analysis to make planning decisions.
Today,software tools exist that allow managers to analyze outage and callout outcomes directly.By visualizing incidents through heat maps and root-cause filters,a manager can quickly identify where vegetation,equipment failure,or vehicle strikes repeatedly cause outages.That insight enables smarter decisions.If,for example,a manager wants to understand the patterns behind outages,these tools enable him or her to pull data on demand.If they see recurring faults along a specific segment,then they might add cutouts to help crews isolate problems faster.If they investigate why a particular pole at a busy intersection has been struck multiple times over several years,they can justify relocating it.And that,in turn,may do more to improve SAIDI and SAIFI than any amount of reactive repair work.
The key is immediacy.When utilities integrate outage,OMS,and GIS data and make it accessible,managers no longer have to wait for analytics to catch up with operational reality.They can plan proactively,using detailed,on-demand restoration history to strengthen system resiliency.
Equip Districts with Rapid Restoration Tools
No amount of data can replace having the right equipment on hand during an emergency.In my view,every utility district or service area should also be equipped with a set of specialized tools designed specifically for rapid restoration.
One example is the Rapid Pole or similar temporary pole system.Whether a pole fails due to a vehicle strike,decay,or storm damage,having a telescoping mast capable of supporting multiple crossarm configurations allows crews to make temporary repairs and restore power quickly while permanent repairs are scheduled.
Another essential asset is a high voltage URD Restoration Trailer.These self-contained units can carry roughly 1,000 feet of 35kV-rated mining cable that a crew can temporarily roll out between two points such as riser poles,pad-mounted transformers or switchgears to safely reenergize customers using normal medium voltage elbows or terminator connections.Many utilities face aging,direct-buried,unjacketed URD that has reached its lifespan.Portable trailers allow crews to safely energize the isolated faulted line safely above ground to temporarily energize customers.This method will significantly reduce customer downtime and allow crews to schedule permanent repairs.For utilities with large underground infrastructure,one mining trailer per district can reduce restoration time if a loop configuration isn’t available.
Finally,utilities should invest in software that enhances OMS platforms,so these systems can gather customer information and allow for interaction.There is value in connecting consumers,call centers,and operations teams in new ways.Customers want to track the status of their outage and know an operator created a ticket,instead of wondering whether their call has registered.Connected consumers can see when crews are assigned and submit additional information,which boosts customer satisfaction while improving situational awareness for the utility.
Restoration is About Customer Satisfaction and Technology
America’s aging grid and customers’declining tolerance for outages puts utilities under immense pressure.Competing priorities exist.But investing in restoration tools and software that engage consumers and analyze incidents can pay dividends for reliability and customer satisfaction.The utilities that will excel in 2026 and beyond are those that treat restoration not as a choreographed race to react,but as a discipline—one supported by trained people,modern equipment,safety,and data-driven insight.
