Representative End User Clients
Representative Automation Clients
Representative Software Clients
In a recent episode of the Digital Transformation Viewpoints podcast, ARC’s Director of Consulting, Rick Rys, interviewed Daniel Foster-roman, Utility Industry Principal at Seeq, to dive into how utilities are navigating grid challenges.
After more than a decade of flat growth, data analytics is emerging as a key enabler to meet the growing demand for electric power.
As the world shifts toward massive electrification, from the rise of data centers to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and HVAC systems, the utility industry is facing a period of unprecedented load growth. Meeting this demand while maintaining a stable grid requires more than just new infrastructure—it requires advanced data analytics and AI.
Planning for the New Power Reality
The conversation focused on how utilities are using sophisticated analytics to plan for huge increases in power loads. Traditional grid planning is no longer sufficient when faced with the rapid expansion of power-hungry data centers and the fluctuating demands of transportation electrification. Daniel highlighted how AI-driven insights allow for more accurate forecasting and optimized load management.
Managing a Distributed Grid
One of the most critical topics discussed was grid stability. With the influx of distributed generation assets like solar PV and batteries, the grid has become more complex and bidirectional. Daniel explained how utilities are leveraging tools from companies like Seeq to:
Integrate Renewables: Seamlessly balance intermittent solar and wind power with traditional base loads.
Optimize Battery Storage: Use data to determine when to charge and discharge grid-scale and residential batteries for maximum efficiency.
Ensure Reliability: Monitor asset health in real time to prevent outages before they happen.
The discussion centered on how real-time data can be used for forecasting and how AI and machine learning tools can transform data into action. The discussion also mentioned how Dominion Energy developed load forecasts to reduce the planning horizon to meet new loads from expanding data centers. The load forecasting helps determine capital investments for new substations and allows for improved outage management planning to ensure data centers have a path to power sources if certain equipment needs to be taken offline for maintenance or in the event of a failure.
During the discussion, Seeq described how data analytics tools use real-time data to improve both the supply side and demand side of utility grid management. Grid forecasts can assist utilities in planning for new grid connections to manage the interconnection queue of renewable power and batteries, as well as forecast the sudden shift to new gas generation being used to quickly ramp up power for data centers. Daniel discussed how analytics is being used to maximize or optimize asset life to improve grid reliability.
The Path Forward
The interview makes it clear that the digital transformation of utilities isn't just a trend—it’s a necessity. By turning vast amounts of operational data into actionable intelligence, grid operators can build a more resilient, sustainable, and adaptive energy future.
Want to hear the full discussion? Check out the full podcast episode on the ARC podcast channel at Buzzsprout, or listen to it here: