Potential of artificial intelligence for the utilities industry

06.03.2024


Source: Energy & Management Powernews

The Edna Bundesverband Energiemarkt und Kommunikation wants to develop a cross-sector overview of the potential of artificial intelligence for the utilities industry.

What AI tools and methods are available? Where are they being used in the utilities industry and where could they be used? The "Technologie-Initiative Energie plus" ("tie+") at Edna Bundesverband Energiemarkt und Kommunikation wants to explore these and other questions.

"Most companies are now looking into the use of AI, especially generative AI (Gen AI). However, this is usually done selectively. In contrast, we want to create a systematic overview along the entire value chain," explains Oliver Warweg from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Systems Technology (IOSB / AST).

In order to shed light on the topic from as many perspectives as possible, the initiative is still looking for companies that want to take part in the project: "Regardless of whether they are energy supply companies, software providers, consulting firms or service providers," explains Edna Managing Director Richard Plum.

In a first step, the existing AI tools and methods are to be systematically recorded and differentiated from one another. Existing projects and potential use cases will then be collected, analyzed and compiled in a white paper. "We are specifically looking for fields of application and concrete challenges that may be difficult to solve so far. And where Gen AI actually and ideally delivers a better solution in terms of commercial, performance or other aspects," says Oliver Warweg.

The TIE plus was founded in 2017 as the "Blockchain Initiative Energy+" (BCI-E+) to investigate the potential of blockchain technology for the energy market, but opened up to other technologies in 2019. Since 2022, the initiative has been operating under the name "Technologie-Initiative Energie plus" and sees itself as representing the interests of all market partners involved. The aim of the initiative is to promote the early acceptance and introduction of new technologies in the energy industry, for example by developing infrastructures or influencing the legal and political framework at national and European level.

Further information on TIE plus can be found on the website of the Edna Bundesverband Energiemarkt und Kommunikation.

Author: Katia Meyer-Tien