Bridging the Digital Divide: UDC's Enterprise Architecture Vision at DistribuTECH 2025

As the energy sector rushes to adapt to an increasingly complex landscape, one thing is clear: Enterprise architecture is no longer optional for utilities. At DistribuTECH 2025, William Craft, Vice President of Enterprise Architecture at UDC, sat down with Energy Central to discuss how his team is tackling the challenges of modern utilities head-on.

"We see a deeper need and a broader scope," Craft said. "The time is right for an enterprise architecture strategy that truly unites IT and OT and prepares utilities for what's coming."

Here’s what we learned →

Beyond the Buzz: Enterprise Architecture for Real Impact

In recent years, palpable buzz has surrounded emerging tech in the fields of artificial intelligence and cloud technology. However, for Craft, the real story is how enterprise architecture provides the foundation to make these technologies meaningful and scalable.

"AI tools come with big system requirements," Craft noted. "Processing large amounts of imagery data, for example, requires robust hardware and architecture to support it. Enterprise architecture bridges those needs."

Craft explained how UDC’s Enterprise Architecture services comprise IT-focused offerings to help utilities design, build, optimize, and operate modern GIS systems. The process, he said, starts with detailed discovery workshops that bring together diverse stakeholders to identify gaps, rank priorities, and outline requirements. "We’re not just designing systems; we’re facilitating conversations and collaboration," Craft emphasized. "Breaking down silos is as much about fostering relationships as it is about the technology itself."

The Role of Data: Planting the Right Seeds for the Future

The biggest lesson for utilities, according to Craft’s read on Distributech 2025: the importance of collecting and preserving data. With AI and automation set to play even greater roles in the grid’s future, historical data will be critical for identifying trends and making informed decisions.

"We wish we had full data sets from 30 or even 10 years ago, but we didn’t realize then how valuable they’d be. But we’re helping partners start today, and in 10 years, we’ll be grateful for the data we start saving now," Craft observed.

UDC’s approach focuses on integrating data streams across utilities, ensuring accessibility and usability. Whether it’s leveraging GIS as a spatial system of record or building cloud-based integration platforms, Craft's team is preparing utilities to thrive in an increasingly data-driven world.

Building Bridges: Aligning IT and OT

One of the perennial challenges facing utilities is the gap between IT and OT. "Utilities have struggled when it comes to aligning IT and OT," Craft said. "Our role is to facilitate healthy discussions, leverage existing relationships, and bring those groups together."

“We have carefully structured discovery workshops that organize discussions about the current state system and future state requirements across eight focused types of architecture,” said Craft. “And a big part of those workshops involves bringing key stakeholders together to envision the future state architecture.”

By asking the right questions during discovery workshops and fostering collaboration between system owners, UDC ensures that system architectures are not only technically sound but also operationally viable. This approach helps utilities avoid blind spots and set a strong foundation for modernization efforts.

Looking Ahead: Cloud, AI, and the Future of Utilities

Craft sees both cloud technology and AI as key components of the utility grid's future. While cloud platforms are already central to many utilities' roadmaps, we’ve only scratched the surface on their long-term potential, according to Craft. He explained that utilities must think about how these integration systems can leverage any investments that may have been made in platforms that may already be part of the organization’s technology roadmap. “Flexibility is key for newer systems,” added Craft, “And integration platforms to help offset the limitations of older, more established systems.”

Worth noting: Craft said recent changes in NERC Standards are key to understanding cloud adoption at utilities. With last year’s shift in guidance on physical storage location requirements for Bulk Electric System (BES) data, NERC now emphasizes that securing information in the cloud should “depend less on the actual storage location of the information and more on file-level rights and permissions.”

As for AI, Craft is optimistic about its transformative possibilities over the next five years. He believes AI technologies will further enhance system observability and telemetry, enabling system administrators to better predict issues and manage their enterprise architecture more proactively, allowing it to scale appropriately to meet demand.

He envisions a future where AI drives more automation and uses historical data to predict and support managing grid challenges in real-time. "AI will continue to evolve, and in five years, it’ll be doing things we’re not even thinking of now," Craft predicted. "The journey we’re on with AI and data is just beginning, and the possibilities are thrilling."

Leading the Charge on Modernization

Today’s technology advancements demand even more from IT infrastructure in terms of performance, flexibility, and cybersecurity. With so many changes happening in the tech industry, having a well-architected system is critical for a utility’s energy delivery business. “We see a deeper need with a broader scope, where the focus is on scalable, reliable, and secure architectures across the IT landscape,” said Craft.

Enterprise Architecture can thus be considered a glue that connects digital transformation, cybersecurity, and grid modernization initiatives. “We are seeing a lot of parities across the various well-architected frameworks in the industry from leaders like AWS, Microsoft, Google, Esri, VMware, Oracle, and IBM. Because of that, utilities can apply complementary best practices from multiple frameworks throughout their organization’s technology landscape that address digital transformation and grid modernization business needs and meet cybersecurity requirements,” Craft said.

All week, Energy Central is publishing our series of conversations from DistribuTECH 2025. You can see them all as they go live at this landing page.

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