The distribution grid is under pressure like never before. Between surging demand, DER saturation, and growing public accountability, utilities are being asked to do more, faster—with less room for error. Into this high-stakes environment steps Ed Sutton, GridUnity’s new Director of Distribution Growth and AI Innovation.

Ed brings a rare blend of deep utility expertise, technical strategy, and AI innovation leadership. Based in Westchester County, NY, Ed is already shaping how GridUnity expands its support for distribution utilities navigating today’s most pressing challenges.

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“The industry is at a crossroads,” Ed says. “Utilities are squeezed between explosive load growth—data centers, C&I, digitization—and a flood of new generation from solar and storage. Distribution is no longer a sleepy segment—it’s the front line of the energy transition. My mission is to help utilities unlock this growth and act with confidence in the face of increasing complexity.”

A Track Record of Transformation

Before joining GridUnity, Ed held leadership roles at Consolidated Edison, contributed to grid modernization programs across the U.S., and most recently led Enterprise AI and R&D at a century-old global engineering firm Black & Veatch —helping modernize legacy systems to meet 21st-century demands.

From implementing enterprise software at scale to shaping go-to-market strategies alongside tech leaders like Amazon  and Google, Ed has consistently driven large-scale innovation in highly regulated environments.

“Ed’s not just a sales leader—he’s a systems thinker,” says Keith Laska, Chief Growth Officer at GridUnity. “He sees the grid holistically. His approach combines empathy for the day-to-day utility challenges with a futurist’s mindset. He’s exactly who you want helping your team unlock what’s next.”

What He’s Focused On

Ed is particularly interested in:

• Accelerating time-to-value: “Utilities are dealing with backlog after backlog. One of the first things I ask is: ‘How do we help you move faster?’”
  
  
• Improving strategic clarity: “There’s so much noise in the data. My job is to help our clients extract the signal and align their strategy with what matters most.”
  
  
• Delighting the end-user: “Whether it’s regulators, customers, or internal teams—success means everyone has the data they need, when they need it, to make smart decisions.”
  
  

Looking Ahead

At GridUnity, Ed’s role goes beyond delivering a product—it’s about building lasting partnerships that solve grid-scale problems. “This isn’t about transactions,” he says. “It’s about building lasting partnerships to re-architect the grid, solve urgent distribution challenges, and scale for what’s next.”

• Connect with Ed on LinkedIn
• Interested in learning how GridUnity supports distribution utilities? Let’s talk.

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