Updated:
Originally Published:
DALLAS — The electric power industry is at a crossroads. National priorities are shifting, electricity demand is surging, and customer affordability remains top of mind. At this year’s Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance (SSCA) Sustainable Sourcing Conference, more than 120 attendees came together to share ideas about how to align ambitious sustainability goals with the business realities utilities face every day.
Beta Engineering led discussions on how utilities and suppliers can build sustainable infrastructure—even in harsh environments. Senior Project Manager Gerald Da Silva, PE, presented the case study “Designing for the Desert: Resilient Clean Energy in Borrego Springs,” highlighting the expansion of the Borrego Springs Microgrid, the first utility-owned, community-scale microgrid in the U.S.
Completed in 2025 with San Diego Gas & Electric, the project added 6.7 MW of battery storage to the microgrid, enabling the remote desert community to operate entirely on clean energy during outages. Da Silva shared how Beta overcame obstacles like flood risk, unstable soil, and extreme heat to deliver a replicable model for future clean energy microgrids. The result: improved reliability, stronger resilience, and critical services that can stay online even in the toughest conditions.
Beyond the presentation, Beta also connected with utility leaders and supplier peers at the Supplier Showcase, sparking conversations about how innovative design and collaboration can shape the next generation of sustainable energy solutions.
The conference gave a glimpse into the biggest questions utilities are wrestling with right now:
What makes the SSCA Sustainability Conference valuable is the chance to move beyond PowerPoints and policy papers. Attendees get to sit across the table from each other, hear what’s keeping utility leaders up at night, and share how suppliers can help meet those needs. In the ever-changing world of sustainability, these opportunities to learn together and collaborate are essential. By exchanging ideas face-to-face—candidly and practically—utilities and suppliers strengthen the partnerships that will move the industry forward.
The message from utility leaders was simple: keep going. Political winds may shift, regulations may fragment across states, and the power mix may evolve, but the destination hasn’t changed. With rising energy demands across the United States, wind, solar, and other clean energy resources are here to stay. Sustainability is a long journey, and the industry is determined to keep moving down that path toward a more reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy future.
The Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance (SSCA) is a collaboration of utilities and suppliers working to advance sustainable practices across utility supply chains. With more than 100 member organizations, SSCA helps the industry align sourcing strategies with sustainability goals while sharing best practices and driving measurable impact. Learn more.
Beta Engineering is a substation EPC company headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana, with an office in San Diego. Since 1975, we’ve helped power delivery companies across the U.S. complete high-voltage substation and transmission line projects. In addition to delivering safe, reliable solutions, we partner with our customers to help them achieve their sustainability goals. See how we help customers turn sustainability initiatives into real-world solutions: betaengineering.com/sustainability.
Contact our team to tap into 50 years of problem-solving experience.
Updated:
September 25, 2025
Updated:
Originally Published:
DALLAS — The electric power industry is at a crossroads. National priorities are shifting, electricity demand is surging, and customer affordability remains top of mind. At this year’s Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance (SSCA) Sustainable Sourcing Conference, more than 120 attendees came together to share ideas about how to align ambitious sustainability goals with the business realities utilities face every day.
Beta Engineering led discussions on how utilities and suppliers can build sustainable infrastructure—even in harsh environments. Senior Project Manager Gerald Da Silva, PE, presented the case study “Designing for the Desert: Resilient Clean Energy in Borrego Springs,” highlighting the expansion of the Borrego Springs Microgrid, the first utility-owned, community-scale microgrid in the U.S.
Completed in 2025 with San Diego Gas & Electric, the project added 6.7 MW of battery storage to the microgrid, enabling the remote desert community to operate entirely on clean energy during outages. Da Silva shared how Beta overcame obstacles like flood risk, unstable soil, and extreme heat to deliver a replicable model for future clean energy microgrids. The result: improved reliability, stronger resilience, and critical services that can stay online even in the toughest conditions.
Beyond the presentation, Beta also connected with utility leaders and supplier peers at the Supplier Showcase, sparking conversations about how innovative design and collaboration can shape the next generation of sustainable energy solutions.
The conference gave a glimpse into the biggest questions utilities are wrestling with right now:
What makes the SSCA Sustainability Conference valuable is the chance to move beyond PowerPoints and policy papers. Attendees get to sit across the table from each other, hear what’s keeping utility leaders up at night, and share how suppliers can help meet those needs. In the ever-changing world of sustainability, these opportunities to learn together and collaborate are essential. By exchanging ideas face-to-face—candidly and practically—utilities and suppliers strengthen the partnerships that will move the industry forward.
The message from utility leaders was simple: keep going. Political winds may shift, regulations may fragment across states, and the power mix may evolve, but the destination hasn’t changed. With rising energy demands across the United States, wind, solar, and other clean energy resources are here to stay. Sustainability is a long journey, and the industry is determined to keep moving down that path toward a more reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy future.
The Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance (SSCA) is a collaboration of utilities and suppliers working to advance sustainable practices across utility supply chains. With more than 100 member organizations, SSCA helps the industry align sourcing strategies with sustainability goals while sharing best practices and driving measurable impact. Learn more.
Beta Engineering is a substation EPC company headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana, with an office in San Diego. Since 1975, we’ve helped power delivery companies across the U.S. complete high-voltage substation and transmission line projects. In addition to delivering safe, reliable solutions, we partner with our customers to help them achieve their sustainability goals. See how we help customers turn sustainability initiatives into real-world solutions: betaengineering.com/sustainability.
Contact our team to tap into 50 years of problem-solving experience.
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