When it comes to shoring up overhead lines, the quickest gains often come from smarter choices, not bigger footprints—a point driven home by Southwire’s Drew Pearson and Emily Witcher in a Power Perspectives conversation with Energy Central at DTECH 2026.
Their thinking? The near-term playbook is pragmatic: Squeeze capacity from existing corridors through targeted reconductoring and tested conductor designs, insist on independent test data, and pair material upgrades with partnerships and tools that speed deployment—all while keeping engineering judgment firmly in the loop.
Here are the other big lessons Emily and Drew shared in our packed conversation ➡️
1️⃣ The grid is growing, and capacity pressure is immediate.
Across the country, utilities are wrestling with constrained rights-of-way and rising demand. Fueled by growing load demand from data centers, new nodes of generation as renewables get built out, and general industry growth, we’re currently in a make or break moment of the power sector.
“Capacity seems to be the biggest topic that all the utilities are talking about. How do we increase that capacity?” Witcher asked. From Southwire’s perspective, the near-term response must follow a pragmatic sequence: First, get more capacity from what you already own—then consider more disruptive rebuilds. Reconductoring and advanced conductor options must be the first line of defense before wholesale rerouting.
Why that matters: Many grid planners actively face political and physical limits on new lines. Rather than rush to unpopular (and less efficient) solutions, upgrading conductor families or changing sag/ampacity profiles can buy time and capacity without land acquisition or transmission re-routing.
2️⃣ Not all equipment is built the same.
That said, the decision to consider physical upgrades as a near-term solution doesn’t mean rushing into just any off-the-shelf solution. A recurring note from the Southwire team was clear: The equipment options available are not necessarily interchangeable.
“All advanced conductors are not created equal,” emphasized Pearson. He encouraged engineers to examine the core material, strand design, and installation tradeoffs rather than accept a vendor label at face value.
Plus: Pearson highlighted the stranded carbon-fiber composite core design that Southwire uses as an intentional choice that’s not implemented everywhere. “Stranded designs give you added flexibility, easier installation, and reliability,” he said.
For procurement teams, that means RFPs and specifications must ask for data points like installation specs, bend radius limits, jointing procedures, and lifecycle considerations—not just ampacity claims.
3️⃣ Trust, but verify: Model coefficients and independent testing are non-negotiable.
Regardless of which solution a grid implementation project ultimately chooses, decision-makers must always remember that model inputs drive safety margins. Translation? Don’t accept theoretical coefficients without seeing the test data behind them.
“We would really encourage engineers to take a trust but verify approach….ask for test reports from manufacturers to be able to see the data behind the coefficients they use,” Pearson implored.
For example: Southwire highlighted its certified test program, including stress, strain, and creep tests, aiming to give designers the tools they need to accurately model lines. It may feel like an extra step at the moment, but utilities that require vendor testing and third-party validation ultimately reduce long-term rework risk and improve regulator confidence when filing for projects.
4️⃣ AI adds speed—but human engineering judgement remains central.
The Southwire team also emphasized the need to keep experts plugged into the system, no matter how tempting it may be to let AI optimize every aspect. As emerging partnerships—between materials makers, software firms and utility engineering groups—are accelerating deployment, Witcher cautioned a balanced approach.
“AI is a great tool,” she noted, “But it's not a replacement for engineering knowledge.”
Credible vendors want cooperative relationships in that same spirit of building together rather than wholescale AI replacement. “They really do want to partner with utilities…not just come in and kind of bulldoze the whole industry, but actually have a real partnership there,” she said.
For example: Pearson highlighted a project designed for a 175-mph wind event in a location where hurricane-force winds previously took down the standing grid infrastructure. In the rebuild, Southwire supplied a heavy-duty C7(R) conductor that was required to stand up to the job—a reminder that some resilience projects still require analog engineering and specialized hardware, not AI tools pasted upon existing, aging infrastructure.
Want to hear the rest of Southwire’s valuable insights? Don’t miss the full interview, out now.