Keysight Survey Finds Fewer than Half of Grid Operators Believe Network Is Ready as Power Demand Surges

Frost & Sullivan research identifies validation, resource, and cybersecurity constraints as critical gaps

SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) today released findings from a Frost & Sullivan study of the U.S. grid ecosystem. Utilities and network operators, the organizations that are responsible for operating the live grid, are the least confident in modernization readiness, with just 45 percent rating the regions they serve as well prepared. Only half of operators report significant progress in meeting surging load demand over the past five years.

Modernization Is Underway

Fifty-three percent of respondents believe their organization is making a significant contribution to accelerating domestic grid modernization. Specific areas of strength include:

• 80 percent report progress integrating renewable power and distributed energy resources (DERs) over the past five years
• 78 percent are seeking collaboration with other industry groups to accelerate U.S. modernization readiness
• 72 percent are actively investing in DERs and grid network testing solutions

Yet Readiness Lags in Key Areas

• Only 63 percent of respondents report progress in the grid’s ability to meet surging load demand
• 64 percent say efforts to address aging infrastructure have advanced
• 74 percent believe they have made headway in integrating advanced telecommunications, solar power, and cybersecurity

Validation Bottlenecks Throttling Progress

• Only 49 percent of respondents involved in integration testing rate their ability to validate grid compliance and interoperability as above average or excellent
• 47 percent of participants struggling with cybersecurity and network visibility cite the ability to simulate potential threats as a top concern
• Among the respondents who find resource and operational constraints challenging, 44 percent cite cost-driven pressure to reduce test time or frequency, 42 percent say long test cycles and time-to-market pressure, and 40 percent point to budget issues

Farah Saeed, Industry Director, Energy and Environment Growth Advisory, Frost & Sullivan, said: “The survey underscores that while industry stakeholders each face different pain points, they all converge around the same core issue. The grid ecosystem needs a more coordinated way to validate complex, connected, software systems before they reach the field.”

Thomas Goetzl, Vice President and General Manager for Automotive and Energy Solutions, Keysight, said: “The next phase of grid modernization will require a fundamental shift in how new technologies are validated. As power, communications, and cybersecurity become increasingly interconnected, validating them in isolation is no longer enough. A more resilient grid will depend on ensuring these systems can interoperate and perform reliably under real-world conditions.”

Frost & Sullivan surveyed 120 professionals, mostly engineers and cybersecurity specialists, at U.S. device manufacturers, system integrators, and network operators in May 2026. Respondents were split evenly by segment and region.

The findings of the report will be one of the topics of discussion at Keysight's inaugural Grid Modernization Summit, scheduled for January 28, 2027, in Mountain View, California.

Resources

• The Grid Validation Gap: Key Factors Slowing Modernization Momentum
• Closing the Grid Validation Gap
• Frost & Sullivan Grid Modernization Study

About Keysight Technologies

Keysight (NYSE: KEYS) serves technology innovators as a mission-critical design enablement partner for the world’s most complex engineering challenges. By connecting market-leading design, emulation, and test solutions across the full life cycle, Keysight helps engineering teams accelerate innovation, reduce risk, and bring new technologies to market faster. Customers across AI infrastructure, communications, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor, and general electronics rely on Keysight to bridge virtual design and physical reality, enabling confident decisions earlier. Learn more at www.keysight.com.

Keysight Media Contacts

Mark Price
Americas
mark.price@keysight.com

Fusako Dohi
Asia
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Jenny Gallacher
Europe
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