Robotics and Technology for the Next Generation of Energy Infrastructure

Demand for reliable electricity is growing faster than at any point in decades. New reactor construction and battery, switchgear, and transformer manufacturing are ramping up across Western PA and West Virginia, while AI and data centers add load to the grid at an unprecedented pace. Across the PJM grid region, which includes Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the cost of securing future power has risen roughly 22% in the last year, hitting the regulatory price cap of $325 per megawatt-day for the 2028/2029 delivery year (PJM, 2026).

Meeting this moment will take everyone: utilities, manufacturers, technologists, researchers, and regional leaders. It will also take new tools to build, maintain, and inspect energy infrastructure at a scale few have seen before.

The CREATE Grid Innovation Summit brings these groups together to turn that shared challenge into practical, innovative solutions.

In this opening reception, industry leaders, researchers, and technologists will join for networking and to hear about our regions opportunities to pave the way for grid innovation.