Great River Energy Offers U.S. Energy Regulators an Up-Close Look at Grid Intelligence in Action

On July 21, 2026, Heimdall Power was proud to join Great River Energy in welcoming nearly 40 state utility regulators, consumer advocates, and utility leaders attending the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Summer Policy Summit for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the utility’s Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) program in action.

From a Great River Energy transmission field about 15 miles outside Minneapolis, energy regulators watched as the Heimdall Power drone team performed an installation and de-installation of the same Neuron sensor units that dot approximately 200 miles of Great River Energy’s transmission network. The demonstration showcased how utilities can rapidly deploy the sensors that enable DLR at scale. Attendees also heard directly from the Great River Energy team about their experience implementing Heimdall Power’s DLR solution, the operational insights they've gained, and the real-world benefits they've seen to date.

"Until you see it firsthand, deploying line-mounted sensors across a transmission system can seem like a daunting undertaking," said Michael Craig, Manager, Energy Management Systems at Great River Energy. "We appreciated the opportunity to show regulators how drone technology makes sensor deployment safe, efficient, and scalable."

Great River Energy kicked off its DLR journey with Heimdall Power in September 2023. What began with four Neurons has grown to 67, and helped Great River Energy unlock additional transmission capacity, improve situational awareness, and advance its data-driven approach to facility ratings.

‍

‍Download the whitepaper “Grid Optimization Gets Real: One Year Inside America's Largest DLR Deployment” to learn more about how Great River Energy’s groundbreaking DLR project delivered meaningful capacity gains, millions in project cost savings, and actionable best practices for high-value DLR.
‍

As utilities across North America seek practical ways to expand grid capacity quickly and affordably, technologies like Heimdall Power grid intelligence sensor platform are an increasingly important part of the solution. Events like this provide a valuable opportunity for policymakers and regulators to learn more about the technologies firsthand and engage directly with the utilities putting them to work.

"The energy transition will require many different solutions, and Heimdall Power’s Neurons are one of the technologies available today that can help utilities get more out of the transmission system we already have. We're proud to contribute to the industry's understanding of what's possible,” said Craig.  

Heimdall Power was honored to support Great River Energy in sharing its experience and leadership with this important group of decision-makers. Thank you to the Great River Energy team for hosting an outstanding event and to NARUC, ACORE, and the WATT Coalition for creating opportunities to connect regulators with the technologies helping shape the future of the electric grid.