CGA CONFERENCE 2026

Session Spotlight:

Launching AI that Works: How Irth Achieves the CGA's 50-in-5 Goal

When: Tuesday, April 28 from 2:45-3:45 p.m.

Location: Broadmoor Hall DE

According to the CGA's 2024 DIRT report, an underground utility is damaged via excavation every 2 minutes and 40 seconds, on average (ref). This figure only includes the damages reported to the CGA's DIRT system. Many more damages are unreported. The impact of these damages in the United States is several tens of billions of dollars each year (ref).

The organizations tasked with preventing excavation damages typically run extremely lean. A typical damage rate is one for every 1-2 thousand excavations submitted to 811 centers. Various specializations may be required to effectively locate and prepare sites for safe excavation. These factors, the volume of excavation work, and the scarcity of damage prevention resources mean that intelligent allocation of those resources is critical for success.

This is where AI can be extremely valuable. But there's another problem: Most modern AI solutions fail to generate any return on investment (ref). Our presentation outlines Irth's AI Impact Blueprint: A process for launching AI solutions that consistently provides real, measurable value. We then detail how this blueprint was used to deliver AI which can practically achieve the CGA's goal of reducing damaging to underground utilities by 50% (or more) by 2028.

Irth hopes that what we've learned along our journey will contribute to others' success and the realization of the CGA's 50-in-5 initiative across the entire industry. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet members of Irth’s AI leadership team and hear firsthand how these solutions are being developed and deployed in real-world damage prevention operations.

Session Spotlight:

One Ecosystem, Many Stakeholders

When: Tuesday, April 28th | 2:45 P.M. - 3:45 P.M.

Location: Broadmoor Theater

One Ecosystem, Many Stakeholders explores how aligning energy operators, 811 organizations, and technology partners can meaningfully advance damage prevention. Led by BP, this session highlights how data captured through modern locating technologies—such as those from Radiodetection—becomes significantly more powerful when paired with the analytical intelligence and operational insights delivered by Irth and Utto. Together, shared data, integrated platforms, and collaborative workflows create a more connected, predictive, and proactive ecosystem. By embracing cross-industry coordination and technology-driven insight, stakeholders can strengthen situational awareness, streamline processes, and drive measurable reductions in damages across the network.

Session Spotlight:

One Ecosystem, Many Stakeholders

Tuesday, April 28th | 2:45 P.M. - 3:45 P.M.

Location: Broadmoor Theater

One Ecosystem, Many Stakeholders explores how aligning energy operators, 811 organizations, and technology partners can meaningfully advance damage prevention. Led by BP, this session highlights how data captured through modern locating technologies—such as those from Radiodetection—becomes significantly more powerful when paired with the analytical intelligence and operational insights delivered by Irth and Utto. Together, shared data, integrated platforms, and collaborative workflows create a more connected, predictive, and proactive ecosystem. By embracing cross-industry coordination and technology-driven insight, stakeholders can strengthen situational awareness, streamline processes, and drive measurable reductions in damages across the network.