How AI Is Being Used by Power Utilities to Benefit End Users?

Renewable Energy World.com by Jeremiah Karpowicz:

DTech-Midwest-Conference-AI
Image: Renewable Energy World.com, DTECH Midwest Panel Discussion, “AI Use Cases at the Grid Edge”, Moderator: Fei Ding, NREL

At the DistribuTECH (DTECH) Midwest Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, major discussions have taken place on how AI is used to benefit end users. A panel discussion comprised of power utility and electric cooperatives, led by “Fie Ding from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the panel benefited from her work at NREL, which is connected to developing advanced models and controls for managing grid-edge resources.

These models go far beyond traditional meter data, fundamentally altering how utilities use information in a way that will redefine what customers see and expect in their monthly billing statements.”

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Power Suppliers Are Expediting Plans for Renewable Systems to Benefit from Rapid Dissolving Tax Credits

UtilityDive.com by Diana DiGangi:

Utility-Dive-Solar-Getty-Images
Image: Christopher Furlong, Getty Images

Power companies are accelerating their planned power projects for connecting renewable energies to the grid to benefit from the swift dissolving ‘Inflation Reduction Act tax credits.’

Several power utilities, such as “Xcel Energy, WEC Energy Group, CMS Energy, and Ameren are planning to accelerate projects originally slated for 2030–31 into 2027–28.”

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Large Investors Are Acquiring Power Generation Assets for Adding a Piece of AI to their Balance Sheet

The Output & New York Times:

Black-Rock
Image: New York Times

Large investors are acquiring power generation companies and their power delivery assets that supply AI-driven data centers for the next expected bull market from this extremely excited AI boom.

“Major investment firms like BlackRock and Blackstone are moving to acquire U.S. utility companies, aiming to benefit from the increasing electricity demand driven by AI data centers. This trend is primarily fueled by the rising demand for electricity from data centers, which are essential for powering AI technologies.”

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Nashville TN Regulators Approve AI Use for Early Warning Water Management Systems

WN.com & The Tennessean:

AI Use for Water Systems

Regulators in Nashville approve to advance “a new pilot program that would use artificial intelligence to improve Nashville’s water management system with an early warning detection system and has made it a step closer to beginning development in partnership with Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University will work with the Department of Water and Sewerage Services, better known as Metro Water Services, to develop a system that would use AI to detect anomalies and patterns in water management systems.”

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TVA Submitted the Nation’s First Construction Permit Application to the NRC for a new Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Plant

TVA.com: Scott Fiedler

TVA-Clinch-River-GE-SMR
Image: TVA.com Clinch River, GE SMR

TVA announced it was “the first utility in the U.S. to submit a construction permit application (CPA) for the GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) small modular reactor (SMR) BWRX-300 technology to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – the agency that issues licenses for constructing, operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants.

This CPA is TVA’s next step in pursuing an SMR at its Clinch River site, near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and establishing America’s energy dominance to power artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced manufacturing.

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Using AI Technologies for Power System Asset Management

EngineerLive.com

AI-Power-Asset-Management
Image: EngineerLive.com

What new roles will AI play in the future for aiding power utility companies with power delivery asset management techniques? “Utilities face significant challenges with aging infrastructure, extreme weather, rising operational costs and increased demands for reliability. AI offers a promising solution to all of these issues.

Recent advances show how AI can revolutionize asset management for power utilities. Automated systems can now accurately identify and assess components on utility poles, streamline inspections and minimize human error. These systems not only detect defects with high precision but also enhance maintenance efficiency, reduce downtime, and extend the lifespan of critical assets.”

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