Fitzsimons to join ISO leaders to show how existing and emerging intelligent platforms, AI, and shared data environments accelerate grid readiness and compliance under FERC Order 2023.

Summit, NJ — GridUnity CEO Brian Fitzsimons has been invited to speak on two featured panels at the upcoming Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Technical Conference. The first panel will be on Tuesday, July 8, at 2:00 PM ET, is titled “Interconnection Life Cycle Intelligence and Automation,” and will show how regional operators and transmission stakeholders are leveraging unified platforms and advanced analytics to modernize interconnection workflows, accelerate study timelines, and ensure FERC Order 2023 compliance.

ISO thought leaders—both GridUnity customers—will join Fitzsimons to discuss how GridUnity’s GridInterConnect and other digital solutions are helping resolve the operational and regulatory pressures facing transmission providers today. Topics will include data standardization and curation, study automation, cost estimation workflows, and the emerging role of AI in grid planning.

"Our solution for solving the interconnection challenge isn’t just about software automation,” said Brian Fitzsimons, CEO of GridUnity. “It's centered around AI-powered planning that learns from every project in the country and applies it in real time."

The panel will highlight use cases from GridUnity deployments, including CAISO’s new first-ready, first-served prioritization process, and SPP’s transition to a fully digital cluster study environment. Fitzsimons will also share insights from GridUnity’s AI-powered Grid Analytics Learning Engine (GALE), which can validate project readiness, identify study rework risks, and support more accurate infrastructure cost allocation.

On Wednesday, July 9 at 12:00 PM ET, Fitzsimons will participate in a second panel, titled “The Role of AI in Power Markets,” during FERC’s AI-focused session. He will share insights on AI’s role in interconnection and planning, including its most promising use cases, the biggest misconceptions, and how to overcome the transparency challenges often associated with AI. Discussions will also include where AI is poised to deliver the greatest near-term impact and identify key research areas and barriers to adoption.

These conversations come at a pivotal moment for the energy sector, as surging generation and load demands—from utility-scale projects to AI-driven data centers—underscore the urgency of grid reliability, infrastructure modernization, and national security. GridUnity’s solutions, including GridInterConnect and GridSync, deliver comprehensive lifecycle automation—from pre-application data management and cluster study coordination to construction tracking and commissioning—while enabling AI-powered insights, data transparency, and audit readiness.

GridUnity’s leadership in this space is supported by its participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program. The company was awarded a $49.5 million federal matching grant in 2024 to scale intelligent interconnection infrastructure nationwide.

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Key Features of GridInterConnect for Transmission:

- FERC Order 2023 Compliance: GridInterConnect manages cluster studies, automating some key parts of the current manual process to accelerate it, resulting in shorter queues and quicker interconnection.

- Improved Customer Transparency: As a system of record for the entire interconnection process, the GridUnity platform offers constantly accessible updated project information, removing long waits and guess work from the process.

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- The Network Effect: Enabling real-time, curated, secure data sharing between ISOs, Transmission Owners, and developers, GridInterConnect fosters seamless coordination and a unified audit trail. The shared platform unlocks AI-driven insights from a centralized Data Lake, accelerating approvals and empowering stakeholders to innovate across the interconnection lifecycle.

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- Audit Logs: The GridInterConnect software tracks all applications, communications, payments, and project progress so it can be reviewed either in aggregate to provide critical data for ongoing system improvements or individually to deliver a clear project timeline and narrative.

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- Integration With Utility Systems: The GridUnity platform integrates with existing utility software through secure APIs to bring together multiple functions across the utility, improving internal communication and ensuring data fidelity. Systems often integrated with the GridUnity platform include SAP, Oracle, financial accounting software, and  Powerflow tools including Siemens, Pearl Street, CYME and others.

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- Security: With SOC 2 version 2 and NIST 800-171 certification, the GridUnity platform is hosted on AWS with geographic redundancy and role-based security. 

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About GridUnity
GridUnity® accelerates grid interconnection by streamlining and automating complex, manual processes that delay energy deployment. We help transmission owners, system operators and utilities more effectively collaborate with each other and engage system participants in generation and load interconnection at the bulk-power and distribution system levels. GridUnity’s curated data approach and intelligently applied AI changes today’s Interconnection process to tomorrow’s Intelligent-connection process. Trusted by North America’s leading utilities and system operators, GridUnity customers serve over 50% of the U.S. population. For more information, visit gridunity.com and follow GridUnity on LinkedIn.

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Press Contact:  

Helen Fairman

VP of Marketing, GridUnity Inc.

Phone: 978-410-9111  

Email: helen.fairman@gridunity.com

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