Simple Thread

We're software experts that speak utility.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

One thing we care a lot about at Simple Thread: software teams should not build utility tools in isolation.

When you are building for planning, studies, or interconnection workflows, context matters.

The best tools come from software, design, & engineering working together.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

With more DER, electrification, and changing load patterns, planning teams need to understand how the system behaves over time.

That is where time-series analysis matters.

Not by replacing engineering judgment, but by making complex analysis easier to run, repeat, and trust.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

Utilities are being asked to move quickly and carefully at the same time.

That is a hard balance.

The answer is not just asking engineers to work faster.

It is giving them better workflows, better tools, and better ways to evaluate system impacts at scale.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

You’re asked to make a “small change” to a codebase you didn’t write… and suddenly you’re deep in a system that makes no sense.

It’s easy to get frustrated.

What if the goal isn’t to fight the code, but to understand it?

https://t.co/j4DkThykza

#TechDebt #Developers

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

We’ll be at the Transmission & Interconnection Summit in D.C. this June.

There is a lot to talk about this year:

Data centers. Large loads. Transmission expansion. Queue pressure. Longer planning horizons. More uncertainty.

Looking forward to the conversations in D.C.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

Good UX is not decoration.

For engineering teams, it is operational leverage.

The best tools do not just give engineers more features. They help them think, work, and make decisions more clearly.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

One of the hardest parts of transmission planning right now is that the target keeps moving.

Load forecasts change. Large load requests move. Generation assumptions shift. Timelines stretch further out.

The grid is getting more complex. The study process has to catch up.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

In our latest blog, we explore that idea through a simple example: wiring a 3-way light switch that should have worked… but didn’t.

That same challenge shows up in power systems work all the time.

https://t.co/2jlfuwpVeC

#GridPlanning #DataEngineering #EnergySystems

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

We’re excited to welcome Darby to Simple Thread!

Originally from VA and now based on FL’s Space Coast, she spends her free time exploring beaches and bird trails, dancing salsa and bachata, caring for her indoor plants, and hanging out with her two rescue pitbulls, Coco & Zeus.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

Looking forward to attending the T&I Summit in D.C.

The conversations happening across the industry right now around transmission planning, interconnection reform, large load growth, and study scalability are some of the most important we’ve seen in years.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

ERCOT has 225 GW of large load requests in its queue. Peak demand is 85.5 GW.

The grid was built for loads that stand still. The next chapter belongs to the teams figuring out how to plan for the ones that don’t.

https://t.co/QLC6qOx1xd

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

Most people think of the Common Information Model (CIM) as a standard, but it’s really collaboration across the entire power industry.

In our blog, we take a closer look at the orgs behind CIM and how they work together to make grid interop possible. https://t.co/tgCUm6zno4

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

At Simple Thread, we’re excited to have Arash on the team.

From Tehran to Vancouver, he’s built deep expertise in EMT studies, IBRs, and grid modeling across North America—and brings both technical depth and leadership to every project.

#PowerSystems #GridPlanning

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

Come hang out with us at Hardywood for our next Energy Tech VA meetup.

Wednesday, June 10 @ 5:30 PM

We’re bringing the community together at one of Richmond’s favorite breweries for an easygoing evening of conversation and connection.

https://t.co/GtZlxy4w5Z

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

The interconnection queue is getting harder to trust.

One reason: phantom data centers.

Utilities are seeing large load requests enter the queue at unprecedented scale. But many of these projects never materialize, or change significantly before they do.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

The best software isn’t always the most modern.

After visiting an air traffic control tower, one idea stood out:

Good design isn’t flashy. It’s reliable, simple, and built around how people actually work.

Sometimes “boring” is exactly right.

https://t.co/0g60fSiQvz

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

We’re heading to DTECH Data Centers & AI next week.

The conversation this year feels different.
It’s not just about load growth.
It’s about how fast we can respond to it.

If you’ll be there, let’s connect.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

Large loads are forcing a rethink of how the grid is planned & operated.

NERC’s latest work on large loads makes that clear.

Their findings point to a gap:
Existing standards & processes weren’t designed for today’s emerging loads, especially data centers & other demand.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

Fusion just entered the interconnection queue.

A developer submitted a 400 MW fusion plant application in Chesterfield County to PJM.

The bigger story is timing. They’re entering the queue years before the plant is operational.

Interconnection isn’t a late step anymore.

[Simple Thread @simple_thread]

Running the same user research twice?

You might have “research amnesia.”

This post breaks down how to turn research into a shared, evolving system using Atomic UX, Zettelkasten, and Obsidian.

Less repetition. Better decisions.
Read it here: https://t.co/P2yY2wgn0v