Rewiring infrastructure: the automation revolution in utility design

The article discusses how Spatial Business Systems (SBS), led by President Al Eliasen, is revolutionizing utility infrastructure design through automation and AI. Eliasen, who transitioned from semiconductor equipment to utility software, emphasizes the complexity and critical importance of modern utilities, especially amid the energy transition. With utilities facing massive infrastructure expansion—such as a Texas utility planning to double its $30 billion asset base in the next five to seven years—traditional manual design methods are no longer viable. SBS’s platform automates engineering calculations, synchronizes data with enterprise asset management (EAM) and GIS systems, and eliminates redundant manual work, resulting in faster, more accurate, and scalable design processes. Eliasen addresses concerns about automation threatening jobs, clarifying that SBS’s tools instead help utilities reduce backlogs, meet regulatory deadlines, and avoid costly fines, ultimately freeing up resources rather than cutting staff. A major challenge remains overcoming industry inertia and skepticism from veteran engineers who doubt automation’s applicability; however, demonstrations of SBS