Utilidata, an industry leading grid-edge technology company, announced a partnership with Portland General Electric (PGE) to deploy the first-of-its-kind distributed artificial intelligence (AI) solution at the edge of the grid in Oregon. The new smart grid chip utilizes NVIDIA Jetson technology to support the utility’s clean energy transition, improve grid resiliency, reduce electricity costs, and add new distributed energy resources (DERs) onto the grid.
Utilidata’s smart grid chip is a software-defined, distributed AI platform with the capability to connect distributed energy resources, such as solar, battery storage, and electric vehicles (EVs). Powered by NVIDIA accelerated computing and AI technology, it collects and analyzes large amounts of granular data in real-time at the edge of the grid, allowing PGE to make decisions and adjustments in an open, secure, and cost-effective way. Through this innovative solution, PGE and its partners will be able to create custom applications and solutions to better manage the smart grid.
The smart grid chip will be deployed in PGE’s Smart Grid Test Bed, a community-driven approach to managing clean energy that incentivizes customers to use advanced technologies. PGE has ambitious goals to reduce its baseline GHG emissions from the energy it serves to retail customers by 80% and source 25% of its peak load from clean energy resources at the edge of the grid. Utilidata’s platform will help the Oregon-based utility meet these decarbonization and sustainability goals in the near future.
“We recognize the urgent need for innovation at the grid edge as we transition to a clean energy future,” said Ananth Sundaram, Senior Manager of Integrated Grid at Portland General Electric. “Investing in new technologies for the grid is a key strategy for PGE to achieve its climate goals and provide customers with clean, affordable, and resilient energy.”
Utilidata is committed to working with PGE to modernize the grid infrastructure and spread the latest technologies in the industry. Marc Spieler, Head of Global Energy Business Development at NVIDIA, adds: “No industry stands to gain as much from the forces of AI and machine learning as in energy. With AI, we now have the technology to deploy an intelligent energy grid that is more reliable, secure, and efficient – and in collaboration with Utilidata and PGE, NVIDIA is working to create an intelligent energy infrastructure for a sustainable future.”
About Utilidata
Utilidata is an industry leading grid-edge technology company that is transforming the way the electric grid and distributed energy resources operate. Utilidata’s platform focuses on leveraging the power of AI and machine learning to unlock the full potential of the smart grid and modernize energy infrastructure for a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
About Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric (PGE) is Oregon’s largest locally-owned and operated utility, serving over 900,000 customers across the state. PGE is committed to providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy options that meet customers’ changing energy needs. PGE has ambitious goals to reduce its baseline GHG emissions and innovate alternative energy sources by leveraging new technologies such as distributed AI and machine learning.
