Over the past 15 years, Avista has transitioned from minimal use of mathematical modeling to embedding custom optimization across daily operations and long-term planning. Their internally developed Avista Decision Support System (ADSS) now helps teams optimize everything from maintenance scheduling to generation forecasting and battery integration.

This session explores how Avista built a digital twin of its generation portfolio using prescriptive analytics—and, more importantly, how they gained and sustained user trust in the tool. From cross-departmental collaboration to designing for usability, this story offers practical strategies to help analytics teams develop tools that are not only technically sound but also widely adopted.

Whether you're building a new optimization platform or struggling with user engagement, you’ll gain actionable insights from Avista’s journey toward enterprise-wide analytics acceptance.

Takeaways:

• Learn how Avista created a digital twin of its generation portfolio to support strategic and operational decision-making.
• Explore how users across departments leverage prescriptive analytics through the ADSS platform.
• Discover best practices for gaining and maintaining user trust in analytics-based tools.
• Understand what mathematical optimization is and how it can improve decision-making across utility operations.