| | March 20208CIOReviewIN MY OPINIONREINVENTING ELECTRIC POWER VALUE CHAINBy Joseph Santamaria, CIO, PsegThe energy grid is being transformed into a smarter, cleaner and more distributed network that must satisfy escalating customer and societal expectations. The increased demands range from integrating emerging energy technologies (renewables, storage and demand management) to providing services that allow consumers to manage their energy to electrifying transportation to reduce environmental impacts.The transformation will fundamentally change the way utilities operate, requiring a reinvention of the electric power value chain.Large-scale adoption of energy efficiency (EE) technologies, electric vehicles (EVs) and distributed energy resources (DERs) will introduce great variability into the electric grid. Operators will need to rely on dynamic, intelligent digital networks that automate large components of the electric grid and provide levels of visibility beyond what is available today. In addition, and driven by new customer experiences in other sectors (e.g. retail), individuals, businesses and communities will expect personalized and frictionless services that fit their lifestyles and aspirations, while maintaining low-cost services. Tailoring and anticipating customer needs will also require large amount of data analysis, combined with artificial intelligence that can define daily what is the "next best action" for each customer.Managing the increase in operational variability and treating each customer as a "segment of one," have one thing in common: each relies on massive amounts of data being collected and processed. Deployment of new technologies such as advanced sensors, two-way communication networks, Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, and customer engagement solutions deployed on cloud platforms with massive scalability and innovation tracks will be the foundation for what PSEG calls Intelligent Energy Services Platforms (iESPs).Those platforms will provide real-time data, task automation and predictive insights, resulting in unprecedented efficiencies and reliability. Utilities will not just provide the energy requested safely and reliably, but will also anticipate needs and offer tailored products and advice to all
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