The global power sector is currently navigating a period of unprecedented transformation. As electrification accelerates, and the rise of extreme weather events and massive new loads from AI-driven data centers test the resilience of aging infrastructure, utilities are being pushed to the limits of what the grid was originally built for.  New projects face lengthy permitting and construction timelines, while existing transmission lines are often forced to operate under increased stress and capacity constraints.

In response to this critical challenge, innovation in grid technology has become essential. To help spotlight the solutions leading the way, APC Media launched the Power Players program – an editorial initiative designed to recognize companies delivering practical, forward-looking technologies that unlock hidden capacity, improve resilience, and drive the energy transition forward.

Winners were selected through a committee-led review process, based on submitted solutions from CIGRE Montreal 2025 exhibitors. The culmination of this effort was the official Power Players announcement at CIGRE Canada 2025.

Below, we highlight the innovative technologies and strategic advantages that earned these five companies a spot on the inaugural 2025 Power Players list.

The Power Players Winners

Peak Performer – ENLINE

Enline is a 6-year-old technology company that provides proven Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) to transmission system operators (TSOs) in 38 countries across Europe, South America, and Asia. Recently, the company launched a North American subsidiary to close a critical value gap and meet the increasing demand for its two main offerings: Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) and Network State Estimation (NSE). These solutions deliver performance equal to or better than any competitor’s worldwide, with the added benefit of industry-leading return on investment (ROI) and internal rate of return (IRR) metrics.

Enline’s flagship solutions, Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) and Network State Estimation (NSE), leverage a strategic hybrid approach that minimizes the use of physical sensors while continuously and accurately calibrating and validating our more than 98% accurate GIS-enabled 3D Digital Twin models. These models replicate all aspects of the physical transmission lines in real time, significantly reducing the need for large-scale, costly, and maintenance-intensive physical sensor deployments. This approach dramatically lowers our clients’ total cost of ownership while integrating advanced weather analytics and proprietary, high-resolution thermal and electrical algorithms to precisely model the asset’s current state and forecast ten days into the future, thereby enabling operators to make well-informed decisions that enhance both operational performance and financial results.

Enline’s competitive advantages:

• Atypical Cost Efficiency: Achieves over 65% reduction in total lifetime costs compared to similar competitor solutions by strategically minimizing hardware dependencies and their high associated expenses (Enline recommends approximately one (1) sensor per 15-20 miles of transmission lines).
• Rapid Deployment: Enables deployment timelines 5 to 6 times faster than competing solutions that require approximately one (1) sensor per 1-2 miles of transmission line, with zero network downtime and minimal impact on internal client resources.
• Advanced Monitoring Capabilities: Provides predictive maintenance insights, real-time congestion management, and operational planning support through anomaly detection features that adapt to climate and terrain-specific constraints without requiring extensive sensor infrastructure.

Innovation Solution – GRIDRAVEN

Gridraven’s Smarter Forecasting and Stronger Grids in Estonia’s 5,000 km Test Case for the Future of DLR

At the CIGRE Montreal session, Dr. Henri Manninen of Gridraven presented a breakthrough in grid operations: a sensorless Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) system that increases the capacity of Estonia’s 5,300 km transmission network using hyper-local weather predictions, without installing physical sensors.

Most grids still rely on static line ratings, which assume worst-case weather and leave much of the available capacity unused. Sensor-based DLR can improve accuracy, but the cost and limited coverage make it unrealistic for nationwide use. At the same time, electricity markets increasingly need reliable 24–48-hour forecasts as renewable energy expands.

Gridraven addresses this challenge by combining the CIGRE TB 601 heat balance model with detailed, location-specific weather intelligence. Instead of coarse national weather models, the system uses a terrain-aware machine learning approach trained on 15 million data points from 711 weather stations. By incorporating LiDAR, satellite imagery, and forest canopy data, the model captures how terrain shapes wind patterns, cutting forecast error by more than 35% compared to standard weather models.

In the national-scale deployment, 231 lines and 19,193 spans are processed hourly for 60-hour horizons, generating over 1.15 million span-hour ratings per cycle. Results show capacity gains of +25% (most probable) and +22% (95% confidence) over SLR, with clear identification of terrain-induced effects. The system enables risk-aware, regionally optimized operation, supporting renewable integration and deferred grid reinforcements.

Future steps include expanding our existing pilot IEC-104 SCADA integrations into full-scale operational use and extending our validation efforts to additional regions. We are also progressing with deployments for other transmission system operators. With Fingrid, the first stage covering five lines has been successfully completed and is already in production. We are now moving toward full 400 kV network coverage and integrating all remaining lines, marking the first large-scale European rollout of this approach.

About Gridraven

Gridraven is a Tallinn- and Austin-based energy technology company pioneering sensorless DLR to unlock hidden grid capacity. Using machine learning, LiDAR data, and ultra-precise weather forecasting, Gridraven helps utilities safely increase transmission capacity by up to 30 percent, reducing costs and improving reliability.

Emerging Solution – HEIMDALL Power

Heimdall Power at CIGRE International Symposium 2025: An Intelligent Approach to the Grid’s Most Complex Challenges

The world’s power grid networks are incredibly complex, with more than half a million miles of high voltage lines spanning the United States alone. As the complexity and size of our grids continue to grow, we need to equip grid planners and operators with new tools—and most critically, new forms of knowledge—to effectively do their jobs.

Named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025, Heimdall Power’s solution is like a smartwatch for the power grid. It’s line-based sensor unit, the Neuron, provides real-time insight into the health and performance of transmission lines by measuring line temperature, sag, current, and micro-climate conditions to help utilities operate more efficiently and safely.

When processed through Heimdall Power’s robust cloud-based software solution, those insights help utilities dynamically adjust power flows, unlock hidden capacity, reduce congestion costs, and improve reliability without building new infrastructure.

About Heimdall Power

Founded in 2016, Heimdall Power is the world’s leading grid intelligence solution, trusted by 50+ utilities in 20 countries to help them manage capacity, mitigate outages, protect their infrastructure, and streamline compliance. Heimdall Power’s solution combines a plug-and-play software platform with the Neuron™, a powerline-based sensor that features award-winning hardware design, bleeding-edge communication technology, and proprietary installation-by-drone capabilities. From dynamic line rating (DLR) and ambient line rating (AAR) to asset health, Heimdall Power is proven to help utilities optimize the power grid and fuel better lives. Learn more at heimdallpower.com.

Honorable Mentions

AssetCool

Across the power sector, one truth is becoming impossible to ignore: our grid is being pushed to the limits of what it was originally built for. Electrification is accelerating, extreme weather is testing the limits of equipment, and AI-driven data centers are adding large new loads to a system already under strain. Utilities feel this pressure every day as aging transmission lines run hotter and new projects face longer permitting and construction timelines. Against this backdrop, UK-based deep tech company AssetCool has developed a robotics-and-photonic-materials platform that upgrades on-site transmission lines in months rather than years, strengthening the assets utilities rely on today while raising the performance baseline for the ones still to come.

AssetCool’s approach focuses on the conductor surface, where optimising the surface of overhead power lines can make significant grid improvements overall. AssetCool’s proprietary coatings provide significant performance benefits for overhead lines, including increased current-carrying capacity, enhanced corrosion resistance, and corona-noise reduction.

The coatings can be deployed in two ways: during manufacturing to give new conductors higher performance from day one, or robotically on existing lines. Our field-ready robotics in particular provide utilities with a modular toolkit that enhances assets without tower replacements or major rebuilds.

Supporting this is the Capacity-1 robotic system, designed for consistent, repeatable application at scale. The recent release of our MK2 variant features smaller footprint, tougher chassis, smarter control, faster installs, allowing long-distance coating runs that fit cleanly into established utility workflows. For field crews, the result is a tool that enhances operations without adding unnecessary complexity.

Together, the materials and robotics platform reflects a growing industry shift toward modular, deployable technologies that help utilities adapt to rapidly evolving grid conditions. More details on the science, system design and validation work behind the platform can be found at assetcool.com, but the core principle is simple: improving grid performance doesn’t always require lengthy infrastructure projects. AssetCool is building the grid of tomorrow, today.

Epsilon Composite

Epsilon Composite is a world-renowned pioneer in the field of carbon fiber pultrusion, with close to 40 years of experience in developing high-performance solutions for demanding industries such as oil & gas, robotics, civil engineering, and aerospace. As a subsidiary, Epsilon Cable is a specialist dedicated to the development of advanced conductors used in modernization of overhead transmission and distribution networks. Its products feature state-of-the-art carbon fiber composite cores, manufactured in France through pultrusion. Resulting High Temperature Low Sag (HTLS) conductors can double line ampacity, reduce sag, and cut electrical losses by up to 30%, often without major tower modifications. Fully qualified under applicable international standards (ASTM B987, IEC 62818), Epsilon’s solutions have been deployed across thousands of kilometres worldwide. The company also provides design services, on-site training, and technical support. Certified to ISO 9001, Epsilon Cable emphasizes reliability, sustainability, and a strong return on investment for utilities.

Showcased during the CIGRE Symposium in Montreal last month was a technology developed to safely inspect the integrity of the composite core during installation. Because composite materials represent a major shift from conventional metallic conductors used in overhead transmission lines, they require specific knowledge and best practices for handling and anchoring. As a result, post-installation inspection methods and warranties have recently been demanded by the industry as a means of monitoring core integrity before, during, and after deployment. In response, Epsilon Cable developed a breakdown voltage assessment method—called Corecheck®—the first of its kind designed to inspect bare overhead line conductors. The system is capable of detecting flaws in composite cores throughout manufacturing and installation. It ensures traceability, enhances confidence in composite technology, and helps minimize installation delays. Ultimately paving the way for an even larger adoption of such innovative conductors.