What DTECH 2026 Revealed About The Future of Utility Execution

At the beginning of February, the DTECH International conference in San Diego brought together utility executives, technology providers and system integrators from across the global power sector. With tens of thousands of attendees and an expansive show floor spanning grid operations, field services and power system design, the 2026 edition of the event provided a broad view of how utilities are prioritizing digital investment in response to rising system complexity, workforce constraints and decarbonization pressures.

A central theme was the continued evolution of field services management (FSM) into a core execution layer for utilities. FSM platforms are increasingly being positioned less as workforce scheduling tools and more as systems that connect inspections, asset intelligence, analytics and response workflows, overlapping more directly with traditional CMMS and EAM functionality. For example, Salesforce demonstrated this shift through its integration with Skydio, showing how drone-based inspection data can feed directly into service workflows, asset records and maintenance planning. The emphasis was not on replacing existing maintenance systems, but on extending these workflows upstream into inspection and data capture to improve operational continuity, reduce manual handoffs and accelerate issue resolution.

Additionally, IFS, KloudGin and Oracle highlighted broader FSM and enterprise service capabilities designed to support outage management, mobile workforce coordination, asset performance tracking and customer engagement within unified platforms. These demonstrations reflected growing utility demand for systems that can orchestrate people, assets and data across increasingly complex operating environments.

Utility design and engineering technologies also featured prominently. Bentley Systems, Eaton and GE Vernova showcased how design, simulation and asset data are being integrated across planning, construction and operations. Eaton’s CYME simulations focus on evaluating network performance under higher levels of electrification and distributed energy resources, while GE Vernova emphasizes coordinated approaches to layout planning, asset management, vegetation management, outage response and disaster recovery.

At a more detailed engineering level, platforms from DIgSILENT, EPLAN and ETAP reinforce the increasing convergence between power system modelling, operational planning and real-world grid constraints. These tools are becoming more closely linked to operational systems as utilities seek to reduce the gap between design assumptions and field performance.

Several technology announcements further illustrated how physical infrastructure is becoming more data-driven. Honeywell highlighted its Alpha 4 Pro smart meter platform, positioning it as a core grid data asset that supports richer performance monitoring, distributed energy resource integration and more data-driven network operations. Meanwhile, Eaton and ChargePoint showcased their continued partnership, highlighting how Eaton’s smart breakers and energy management capabilities support improved load visibility and coordinated EV charging.

Overall, DTECH 2026 highlighted a utility sector moving beyond fragmented digital initiatives toward more integrated execution platforms. Investment is increasingly focused on technologies that link planning, field operations and grid intelligence while supporting scale, reliability and workforce productivity. Across the San Diego show floor, the dominant signal was a shift towards practical system integration aimed at strengthening day-to-day operational performance and resilience.