How Itron's Strategic Move to Integrate Elpis Squared Reshapes Utility Grid Management

The modern electric grid faces an unprecedented challenge: balancing growing energy demand with distributed renewable sources while maintaining stability. Itron has just made a decisive move to tackle this complexity by acquiring Elpis Squared, a Newport Beach-based software provider with over a decade of proven experience in utility grid optimization.

Why This Acquisition Matters for the Energy Transition

As utilities grapple with increasingly volatile low- and medium-voltage distribution networks, they need tools that do more than just collect data—they need to act on it in real time. Elpis Squared, founded in 2013, has spent years solving exactly this problem through its RE|Grid Suite, a comprehensive platform designed to help North America’s largest investor-owned utilities modernize their operations.

By embedding Elpis Squared’s capabilities into its Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio, Itron is now positioned to deliver what the industry has been missing: the ability to integrate real-time, high-resolution grid edge data directly into planning, operations, and engineering workflows.

Four Game-Changing Applications

Smarter Grid Planning at Scale

The RE|Grid Suite brings tools like Model Validator, System Planner, and Power Analyzer to the table. When combined with Itron’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and millions of connected grid endpoints, utilities can run accurate low-voltage scenario planning like never before—enabling faster decision-making without guesswork.

Faster, More Frequent Analysis

Traditional impact studies are time-consuming. With this integrated approach, utilities can now run scenario planning and impact studies more frequently. This agility directly translates to better carbon reduction forecasts and more accurate operational decisions.

Asset Lifecycle Optimization

High-resolution data reveals patterns in transformer performance and grid stress. Armed with these insights, utilities can extend the life of critical infrastructure investments and reduce operation and maintenance costs—a significant win for capital efficiency.

Proactive Wildfire Risk Management

By leveraging Elpis Squared’s anomaly detection capabilities alongside Itron’s grid data, utilities can identify fire risks with pinpoint location accuracy, enabling faster mitigation and prevention strategies.

Timeline and Availability

The acquisition is effective immediately, with Elpis Squared solutions already available to Itron’s North American customers. Full integrated solutions combining both platforms are targeted for Q4 2024, giving utilities several months to prepare for deployment.

Don Reeves, Itron’s senior vice president of Outcomes, emphasized the strategic intent: “This acquisition strengthens our Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio and accelerates our product roadmap to create more value for customers.” Meanwhile, Elpis Squared CEO Bryan Wright highlighted the operational synergy: “By adding our RE|Grid Suite to Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio, Itron will catalyze the transformation of energy infrastructure.”

What’s clear is that this integration addresses a critical gap in how utilities operationalize next-generation grid data—turning insights into action at the speed modern grids demand.