The grid is getting smarter, and forced to make sense of gobs of new data, electric and gas utilities must do the same.
Leaning on operational technologies (OT) providers like Aspen Technologies might feel like a far cry from assembling Avengers, but software is the key that unlocks the grid of the future.
“You’ll find our digital solutions in utility control rooms around the world, helping utilities ensure the lights stay on,” offered Sally Jacquemin, AspenTech’s VP of power and utilities, in an interview with Factor This content director Paul Gerke at DISTRIBUTECH (DTECH) in March.
Access to power has become the key driver of AI and data center growth, prompting the need for new solutions among utilities, developers, and other stakeholders. This demand growth will test grid reliability, requiring new ways of collaboration and policy structures.
A new DISTRIBUTECH event, DTECH Data Centers & AI, will help stakeholders in this burgeoning industry navigate power constraints and project delays while balancing the demand for sustainable, flexible solutions. Influential executives and thought leaders will assemble in San José, California from May 27-29, 2025 to discuss how AI is transforming the utility landscape and explore ways power providers can manage increasing demand while utilizing the revolutionary tools promised by new technologies.
Registration for DTECH Data Centers & AI is now open – secure your spot today!
AspenTech enables real-time automation for utilities through modular, flexible software platforms designed to meet the needs of all utilities, big and small. By helping utilities get the right information to the right places, Jacquemin contends, we can connect more renewable generation to the grid, shore up cybersecurity concerns, and rethink how supply and demand dynamics function.
In her chat with Factor This, Jacquemin dives into the utility control room of the future and lends insight into how grid edge intelligence is redefining transmission and distribution. She also discusses her company’s re-integration into Emerson, its acquisition of Open Grid Systems, and how artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a useful tool for alarm management and more.
