The new hardware, software systems, and tools on display on the conference floor in Orlando at DISTRIBUTECH 2024 were enough to keep eager attendees excited during the entire week. One such booth that had regular demonstrations of its latest and greatest Digital Grid Management software solutions was OSI, an AspenTech business, keeping onlookers occupied to watch what the next generation of Generation, Transmission, and Distribution utility operators could envision to advance operations technology within the utility control room of the future.
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For those unable to make the trek to DISTRIBUTECH 2024 or were otherwise occupied across the conference floor, Sally Jacquemin of AspenTech sat down for a conversation with Energy Central to share more background about the advanced capabilities in their Digital Grid Management portfolio the company was demonstrating that can transform the industry.
As AspenTech’s Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Power & Utilities Business Unit, Jacquemin brings a keen insight into industry trends and a wealth of experience in grid modernization during this era of unprecedented change. In this Energy Central interview, Jacquemin sheds light on the pressing issues propelling the energy transition forward. From the rapid acceleration of renewable adoption to the pivotal role of artificial intelligence (AI) in grid optimization, she offers a compelling narrative of how digital technologies can enable the industry's evolution. These insights provide crucial perspectives into the complexities and opportunities intrinsic to the transition toward a sustainable and modernized energy future, emphasizing the pivotal role of partnership-driven approaches in addressing grid modernization challenges.
Taking Stock of the Energy Transition and Associated Grid Transformation
Jacquemin started our conversation by shedding a critical light on the urgent need for utilities to accelerate their investment plans in response to the rapidly evolving landscape of the energy transition. Given the surge in renewables and distributed energy resources (DERs), power companies of all sizes and in every region now face increased pressure to accelerate their transformation efforts. "Our utility customers are really seeing an acceleration of the energy transition,” observed Jacquemin. “What the utilities thought was maybe a 5- or 10-year investment plan needs to be accelerated much more rapidly today."
That shift for immediate action and correlated investment serves to underscore the necessity for utilities to adapt swiftly to this accelerated pace, a speed to which perhaps some utility leaders are still not accustomed. Ready or not, though, Jacquemin knows that at this critical juncture in the industry's journey towards sustainability and decarbonization, a swift pace is an absolute.
Illustrating ways to meet these challenges, AspenTech’s booth demonstrated a comprehensive portfolio of real-time Operational Technology (OT) software solutions that directly support grid modernization. For example, Jacquemin emphasized the complexities that utilities face in managing grid inertia challenges brought on due to renewables and highlighted ways software automation can help navigate evolving grid dynamics. Such discussion specifically points to the need for innovative solutions to balance supply and demand in real time, a task that requires a concerted effort from both utilities and technology providers.
With AspenTech's focus on grid orchestration for Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Gas Utilities, Jacquemin elucidates the role of technology providers in enabling utilities to effectively manage supply and demand dynamics through live data, advanced software automation managing these dynamics in live time, and tools enabling utility workers to virtually be in many places at once. Leaning into the opportunities of both grid-wide DERMS and grid-edge DERMS, Jacquemin preaches the need for utilities to adopt tailored solutions that align with their specific operational requirements, fostering greater efficiency and optimization across the grid ecosystem.
Jacquemin's insights underscore the imperative for utilities to stay ahead of the curve, proactively addressing grid modernization challenges to ensure grid reliability and resilience in the face of rapid technological advancements.
"Both utilities and technology vendors need to kick it into high gear because new capabilities are required for utilities to maintain a safe, reliable, and efficient grid in the face of the challenges brought on by the energy transition." – Sally Jacquemin
Jacquemin and her team at AspenTech don’t just talk the talk, though, instead drawing from real-world examples and in-practice solution implementations. The DISTRIBUTECH conference sessions featured success stories of utilities that have embarked on ambitious grid management OT projects with AspenTech's Digital Grid Management solutions, including projects with industry leaders like AEP, Portland General Electric, and SMUD. Jacquemin highlights the tangible outcomes achieved through collaborative efforts between utilities and technology providers like AspenTech. These success stories underscore the transformative impact of digital solutions in enhancing grid operations, driving efficiency, and delivering value to utility operators and consumers alike. "These utilities come with big, complex Operational Technology projects, a lot of moving pieces, a lot of integrations,” noted Jacquemin. “And while they're taking months to years to implement, these partners have put in the work and now they're seeing the dividends."
Mapping Out Future Steps
Through the digitalization process, security needs to stay top of mind. Navigating the complexities of system implementation poses significant challenges for utilities embarking on digital transformation journeys. Jacquemin highlights the intricacies involved in configuring, integrating, and maintaining complex software systems, underscoring the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and data quality assurance. With AspenTech's expertise and support, utilities can address these challenges and unlock the full potential of digital solutions to drive operational efficiency and grid resilience.
"Security of real-time operational systems is a key focus of ours with each utility. We want to ensure the architecture design, software tools, and applications take a holistic approach to ensure security measures are meeting or exceeding industry standards. " – Sally Jacquemin
AspenTech’s Live Technology Demo in the DERMS Theater
As was another one of the major themes of the DISTRIBUTECH 2024 conference, Jacquemin similarly explores the growing significance of AI in optimizing grid operations . While AI was once relegated to the realm of research and development for utilities, Jacquemin observes a step towards real-world applications, signaling a an automation evolution in grid management strategies. By harnessing the power of AI, utilities can unlock new opportunities for efficiency, resilience, and sustainability, ushering in a new era of grid optimization and management.
"We're making steps towards putting AI into real scenarios and practical use cases. The tools don’t yet have universal adoption, but they’re coming and our customers are really eager to pursue them." – Sally Jacquemin
Central to AspenTech's philosophy is a partnership-driven approach to addressing utilities' evolving needs and challenges. Jacquemin emphasizes the importance of collaboration and co-design in developing solutions that meet utility operators' needs. "We really want to have a partnership relationship with our customers,” she notes. “And we want to implement an elegant solution that doesn't overbuild or overdesign a system for their needs." By fostering open communication and collaboration, AspenTech aims to empower utilities to navigate complex operational challenges effectively, ensuring the successful implementation and integration of digital solutions across the grid ecosystem.
Looking ahead, Jacquemin emphasizes the importance of utilities adopting a long-term vision and an enterprise platform approach to drive their digital transformation initiatives. By standardizing on a common platform, utilities can streamline operations, enhance scalability, and future-proof their infrastructure against evolving technological trends. Jacquemin's insights underscore the need for utilities to adopt a strategic, forward-thinking approach to grid modernization, ensuring their readiness to embrace future challenges and opportunities. "You have to be thinking 5-10 years out,” she notes. “And you need to be thinking about how you want to evolve your system. We have a lot of utilities that are standardizing on this enterprise platform approach to ready themselves for the future."
Standing Room Only at AspenTech’s Booth
Lessons Learned and Baby Steps Ahead
Now with the conversations at DISTRIBUTECH 2024 ringing as an echo and focus shifting to the work ahead, Jacquemin’s reflections offer a poignant reminder of the challenges and opportunities facing utilities as they navigate the complex terrain of the future of utilities. From the imperative to accelerate investment in grid modernization to the promise of AI-driven solutions in optimizing grid operations, Jacquemin's words encapsulate the essence of the discussions that unfolded at the conference.
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As Jacquemin noted, "We really want to have a partnership relationship with our customers. We want to understand what their problems are and provide a best-in-class solution for them." This approach leaning into both collaboration and innovation lies at the heart of the industry's efforts to address the evolving needs of the grid and meet the demands of a changing energy landscape. As utilities grapple with the challenges of both reliability and sustainability, Jacquemin's vision serves as a great reminder for how this can be accomplished effectively, efficiently, and with a continued eye towards the future.