With Great Power: What other industries can teach utilities about innovation

Catalyst · 4 Aug 2023 · 28m

What this episode covers

Raiford Smith, former Google global head of energy and current chief innovation officer at AES, discusses transforming utilities from conservative 'railroads' into innovative 'telecoms.' He details Google's 24/7 carbon-free energy strategy, which required advanced analytics and flexible asset portfolios, and explains how AI and distributed analytics can modernize grid operations. Smith argues that utilities must overcome regulatory lag and integrate diverse technical skills, such as data science and cybersecurity, to manage the accelerating pace of the energy transition.

Mentioned

Companies
AES, Google, Duke Energy, CPS, Entergy, Southern Company, Enron, NRG, X, GridX, Post Script Media, Canary Media, Antenna Group, RE+
Products
Bellfield solar plus storage project

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