Avangrid Expands AI for Utility Operations
Avangrid, Inc., a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, is expanding its use of artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics, digital grid technologies, and responsible data governance to improve utility operations and customer service. The company is applying these technologies across its business as it works to strengthen grid reliability, improve operational efficiency, and respond to changing demands across the energy sector.
The technology initiative forms part of Avangrid’s broader strategy to modernize the way it plans, operates, maintains, and manages its energy infrastructure. By integrating AI and data-driven capabilities into everyday activities, the company aims to provide employees with better tools while improving the experience of customers and supporting the reliability of the electricity system.
“AI is becoming an increasingly important tool for Avangrid, helping employees work more efficiently while improving reliability, safety, and customer service,” said Avangrid CEO José Antonio Miranda. “Our focus is on implementing practical, responsible applications that create measurable value for the business and the communities we serve.”
Avangrid’s approach builds on the broader AI capabilities and experience of Iberdrola, which has been developing and deploying artificial intelligence across its global operations. Within Avangrid, the focus is on practical applications that can support employees in their daily responsibilities and help teams access and use information more efficiently.
AI technologies are being used to automate repetitive processes, analyze large volumes of information, improve asset management, and support faster decision-making. Rather than replacing employee expertise, the company is positioning these technologies as tools that can augment existing capabilities and help workers focus on more complex operational and customer-related tasks.
One area where Avangrid is applying advanced technology is the inspection of electricity infrastructure. Field crews are using drone-based inspection technology to assess the condition of electrical grid assets more efficiently and consistently. Drones can capture aerial information from infrastructure and provide teams with data that can be analyzed to identify potential maintenance requirements.
The use of drone inspections can also help reduce the need for certain manual inspection activities and provide teams with additional information when evaluating infrastructure. By combining aerial data collection with analytics, Avangrid can support earlier identification of potential issues and improve the prioritization of maintenance work.
Digital capabilities are also being applied to customer operations. Avangrid is using voice-of-the-customer solutions to gain greater insight into customer needs, sentiment, and service challenges. These tools analyze information from customer interactions and can transform feedback into insights that teams can use to identify recurring concerns and opportunities for improvement.
Understanding customer sentiment can help the company identify pain points in the customer journey and determine where processes or communications may need to be improved. By turning customer interactions into actionable information, Avangrid aims to support more responsive service and a more streamlined experience across its customer channels.
The company is also developing and deploying AI-enabled applications across different areas of its operations. One example is First Time Right, a capability designed to support field activities and help employees complete work correctly and efficiently. By providing relevant information and analytical support, such tools can help reduce rework and improve consistency in field operations.
Another application, Ask E&P, is intended to help employees access environmental and permitting guidance. Environmental requirements and permitting processes can involve significant amounts of specialized information. An AI-enabled tool can help employees find relevant guidance more quickly, potentially supporting more efficient project planning and execution.
Avangrid is further using predictive analytics to support grid reliability and asset planning. Predictive capabilities can help teams analyze operational information and identify patterns that may be relevant to infrastructure performance. This can support a more proactive approach to maintenance and planning rather than relying solely on traditional reactive processes.
The use of predictive analytics is particularly relevant as utilities manage increasingly complex electricity networks. Growing electricity demand, changes in generation resources, distributed energy technologies, extreme weather risks, and evolving customer needs are placing additional requirements on grid operators. Digital tools can help utilities process information and make decisions in an environment where the volume and complexity of available data continue to increase.
Responsible data governance is another component of Avangrid’s technology strategy. As the company expands the use of AI and advanced analytics, appropriate management of data is important to ensuring that technology is deployed in a controlled and responsible manner. Data governance can help establish consistent practices around how information is managed, accessed, and used throughout the organization.
The combination of AI, analytics, digital grid capabilities, and data governance reflects Avangrid’s effort to move beyond experimentation and integrate technology into everyday utility activities. The company is focusing on applications that have practical operational uses and can provide measurable benefits to employees, customers, and the communities in which it operates.
For employees, these technologies can make it easier to locate information, interpret data, and complete routine tasks. For field teams, digital tools can provide additional information for infrastructure inspections and maintenance planning. For customer-facing operations, analytics can offer greater visibility into service experiences and customer concerns.
As electricity demand grows and the energy system becomes increasingly dynamic, utilities are facing pressure to operate infrastructure more efficiently while maintaining reliability and delivering responsive customer service. Avangrid’s expanded use of AI is intended to address these challenges by giving teams technology-supported ways to plan, manage, and execute their work.
The company’s initiatives demonstrate how AI can be integrated into utility operations through targeted applications rather than treated solely as an experimental technology. By applying AI to field operations, environmental and permitting support, customer engagement, infrastructure inspections, and predictive planning, Avangrid is developing a broader digital foundation for its business.
Avangrid expects these capabilities to continue supporting operational improvements as the energy sector evolves. Its technology strategy emphasizes practical innovation, employee support, responsible data use, and measurable business outcomes.
Through the continued adoption of AI and advanced digital tools, Avangrid is seeking to improve the way it manages its grid, supports its workforce, and interacts with customers. The approach reflects the growing role of digital technologies in the utility industry and the importance of combining technological innovation with reliable operations and customer-focused service.
As the energy landscape continues to change, Avangrid’s investments in AI, analytics, and digital infrastructure are positioned to support a more efficient and adaptive utility model. The company’s focus remains on using technology to help employees make better-informed decisions, strengthen reliability and safety, improve customer experiences, and support the long-term development of a resilient energy system.
Source Link: https://www.businesswire.com/
