Prysmian to Unveil New Technology to Advance and Modernize the Grid at the 2025 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit

Prysmian, a world leader in the energy transition and digital transformation, will showcase its innovative products developed to modernize the grid, including its award-winning hands-free power cable splicing machine, during the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit, held March 17-19, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Prysmian’s participation in this year’s Summit will include an update to the hands-free power cable splicing machine operating in underground vaults to increase the reliability of the network and reduce energy losses due to splice failures. The proposed machine, which fits down a utility hole and is operated from above ground, would implement laser cutting and layer preparation, abrade cable layers and complete the splice while a vision system augmented with machine learning would aid operators in maintaining quality control. 

In February 2024, Prysmian received $4.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to develop the groundbreaking splicing machine as part of the Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-speed Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security (GOPHURRS) program. This award was the largest allocation of GOPPHURS funding, demonstrating the immense value of the automated splicing machine development. 

“Our revolutionary splicing machine marks a significant advancement in the cable undergrounding process, strengthening our commitment to grid resilience, modernization and safety,” said Andrea Pirondini, CEO of Prysmian North America. “As our power grid continues to age, Prysmian is dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that drive progress and ensure a more reliable energy future.” 

Prysmian’s development of the power cable splicing machine is being done in collaboration with Con Edison and Exelon, two of the largest investor-owned utilities in the U.S. developing grid modernization initiatives and deploying this technology. 

Energy Innovation Summit attendees can learn more about Prysmian and its cabling solutions by visiting Booth #913 or at na.prysmian.com.