The Energy Gang at Distributech 2024 in Orlando
Energy Gang28 Feb 2024

The Energy Gang at Distributech 2024 in Orlando

What AI means for the energy transition in the electricity industry

Welcome to a special episode of Wood Mackenzie's The Energy Gang, recorded at the Distributech 2024 conference in Orlando. Distributech is the leading event in North America for the electricity transmission and distribution industry. It provides a fantastic opportunity to talk to the companies that provide technology for moving and managing electricity, and to the utilities and other companies that use that technology.

The impact of artificial intelligence is one of the central themes of the conference, and host Ed Crooks has been meeting industry leaders to discuss the implications of AI and other new technologies for the future of electricity. From the need for more power to supply data centers for AI applications, to the potential for AI tools for managing the grid, to the possible breakthroughs in nuclear power that could be discovered using AI, the speakers explore a vast range of possibilities.

Hussein Shel, chief technologist for AWS (Amazon Web Services), talks about both the opportunities and the challenges of the new types of AI. Zack Kass, a futurist who was formerly a senior executive at OpenAI, discusses the prospect of an age of “energy abundance” that could be unlocked by sophisticated AI. He argues that abundance, possibly provided by nuclear fusion power, will be the way that the world can meet the increased demand for power created by advanced AI systems.

Quinn Nakayama, the senior director of Grid Research Innovation and Development at the California utility PG&E, talks about the practical decisions involved in adopting AI technologies in today’s utilities. Tom Deitrich, chief executive of Itron, a supplier of technologies for utilities and cities to manage energy, water and traffic, joins Ed to discuss the increasingly urgent need for more advanced technologies in grid management. And finally, Anthony Allard, the head of Hitachi Energy’s North American business, talks about what they have been hearing from their customers in terms of two critical issues in the industry: the progress of digitalization, and shortages of critical equipment in the supply chain.

You can find us on most platforms: we’re @theenergygang. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss the next one, out every second Tuesday.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Avsnitt(566)

The mother of all disruptions. What the war with Iran means for energy.

The mother of all disruptions. What the war with Iran means for energy.

The world changed forever on February 28th, 2026. The consequences of the Iran war will take many years to play out. But one fact already seems clear: we are not going back to the world that existed b...

31 Mars 1h 12min

A power producer’s view of keeping the lights on. What does rising electricity demand from data centers mean for the US grid?

A power producer’s view of keeping the lights on. What does rising electricity demand from data centers mean for the US grid?

Energy bills are rising, data centers are multiplying, and the grid is straining to keep up. What happens next? For two decades, electricity prices in the United States barely moved. Demand was flat, ...

17 Mars 1h 10min

The war with Iran: what does the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz mean for global energy?

The war with Iran: what does the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz mean for global energy?

Tanker traffic dries up, oil, gas and fertilizer prices soar, and the world holds its breathThe Strait of Hormuz has long been discussed as one of the single greatest vulnerabilities in global energy ...

10 Mars 1h 11min

Are VPPs really a viable solution for easing strain on the grid? Tesla say yes, and they have big plans

Are VPPs really a viable solution for easing strain on the grid? Tesla say yes, and they have big plans

VPPs – virtual power plants – continue to spark heated debate. Are they genuinely a fast, affordable way to add capacity to the grid? Or are they an overhyped concept that falls apart when electricity...

3 Mars 57min

Data centers are adding an extra 220 gigawatts of electricity demand in the US. How can the grid cope? A second special episode from the ACORE Policy Forum

Data centers are adding an extra 220 gigawatts of electricity demand in the US. How can the grid cope? A second special episode from the ACORE Policy Forum

New analysis from Wood Mackenzie shows that 220 gigawatts of additional power demand from data centers is in the pipeline in the US, and 183 GW of that is already backed by firm commercial commitments...

27 Feb 52min

How are energy supply chains changing as electricity demand surges? A special episode from the ACORE Policy Forum in Washington

How are energy supply chains changing as electricity demand surges? A special episode from the ACORE Policy Forum in Washington

ACORE, the power and renewables industry group, is this week hosting its annual Policy Forum in Washinton DC. It’s an event where industry leaders and experts discuss how the changing landscape of US ...

26 Feb 48min

A solution to the problem of paying for data centre power? Unpacking AWS’s recent 3 gigawatt deal with NIPSCO

A solution to the problem of paying for data centre power? Unpacking AWS’s recent 3 gigawatt deal with NIPSCO

Data centres have become one of the most contentious issue in US power markets. The question of who will pay for the new generation and grid upgrades needed to keep them running has been soaring up th...

17 Feb 41min

Energy storage steps up: the growing role of batteries on the grid, and the challenge from winter storms

Energy storage steps up: the growing role of batteries on the grid, and the challenge from winter storms

It’s the hottest sector in the global energy industry right now, driven by rising power demand, the need to back up variable renewable generation, and escalating threats to grid resilience. It is of c...

10 Feb 1h 1min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
varvet
rss-jossan-nina
svd-tech-brief
badfluence
rss-borsens-finest
uppgang-och-fall
avanzapodden
fill-or-kill
rss-svart-marknad
tabberaset
bathina-en-podcast
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
24fragor
rss-dagen-med-di
lastbilspodden
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
montrosepodden
dynastin