CHATTANOOGA, TN — Known as “Gig City” for pioneering lightning-fast internet, Chattanooga proved a fitting host for the 2025 SDSIC Spring Conference, where more than 450 utility professionals gathered to discuss how substation design must adapt to meet evolving grid demands. With the theme “Designing for Change,” the conference highlighted how utilities and service providers can modernize their workflows to keep pace with increasing power demands, tighter project timelines, and growing resource constraints.

Key Topics Shaping the Future of Substation Design

Throughout the week, attendees engaged in sessions and conversations around several key topics shaping the future of substation design, including:

• Design Automation and AI Tools: Sessions explored how automation, AI, and rule-based modeling are being applied to streamline substation design, reduce manual errors, and shorten turnaround times.

• Interoperability and Standards: A major emphasis at the conference centered on improving interoperability between design platforms. Establishing shared standards remains critical to reducing rework and enabling smoother data handoffs across teams and tools.

• Software Strategy and Selection: With no one-size-fits-all substation engineering platform, utilities are still actively evaluating which 3D design softwares best suit their needs. Some are exploring Revit, while others are testing alternatives like Bentley or AutoCAD Plant 3D—all with this goal: find a platform that can scale with both internal teams and external partners.

• Workflow Implementation: In addition to choosing software, attendees discussed the real challenge: implementation. Conversations often turned to how teams can adopt these new tools, align workflows, and build internal buy-in. As one attendee put it, “The tool isn’t the hard part—it’s getting everyone to use it the same way.”

• Resource Constraints and EPC Support: With ongoing staffing challenges, utilities emphasized the growing importance of leveraging EPC partners like Beta, not just for delivering designs, but to help bridge resource gaps, share best practices, and support implementation of emerging technologies and tools.

Beta Leads Conversations on 3D Workflows and Automation

Beta contributed to the week’s discussions by leading a three-part session series designed to help utilities move beyond outdated 2D workflows and embrace high-detail 3D modeling and automation—helping them build a better grid, faster. Sessions included:

• Reduce the Re-Work: Automating Rigid Bus Analytical Modeling: Presented by Cory Byrnes, P.E., Beta Civil Engineering Team Lead — This session showcased how utilities can leverage Revit to create a 3D rigid bus model, automate the creation of an analytical bus model, and integrate the analytical model with outside Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software Autodesk Robot, RISA 3D, and CSI SAP2000 for structural analysis.

• Harnessing Revit & Advance Steel for Collaborative 3D Modeling & Automation: Presented by Cory Byrnes, P.E., and Mason Deville, Beta Civil Engineering Technician — This session demonstrated a workflow for creating high level-of-detail (LOD) 3D models that can be utilized in BIM coordination spaces and to develop precise fabrication drawings and CNC files.

• Inventor to Revit: Creating Revit Families from Inventor Manufacturer Model: Presented by Chris Wilson, Beta Continuous Improvement Manager — This session showcased how Autodesk Inventor and Revit can effectively adopt any file format and transform it into a data-rich family.

Beyond the podium, Beta’s team engaged in conversations throughout the week—sharing lessons learned from design experience and listening closely to the challenges utilities are facing today.

Why SDSIC Is a Must-Attend for Future-Focused Utilities

SDSIC provides a collaborative space where utilities, engineers, and software providers can talk candidly about what’s working, what’s not, and where the biggest pain points exist. It’s less about sales and more about shared learning—attendees get real-world insight they can take back to improve their own internal processes.

Where’s the Industry Headed Next?

While the industry is clearly moving toward more integrated, automated design environments, readiness for the next steps varies widely. Many utilities are just beginning the shift from 2D to 3D workflows, while others are piloting advanced automation and AI tools. What remains consistent is the need for trusted EPC partners who can not only design efficiently but help clients adopt and scale new tools and standards.

At SDSIC, the message was clear: progress isn’t just about picking the right tools—it’s about building the right partnerships to implement them effectively.

About Beta

Beta Engineering is a substation EPC company with headquarters in Pineville, LA, and an office in San Diego. Since 1975, Beta has been building high-voltage substation and transmission line projects for power delivery companies across the U.S. Contact our team of experts to leverage our 50 years of problem-solving experience and achieve your long-term goals.