AI, grid-enhancing technologies, energy cost stabilization, enabling sustainable load growth, advancing electrification, and more will be at the forefront of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) 2024 Innovation Summit, presented by DISTRIBUTECH® on November 13 in San Jose. The summit will highlight groundbreaking partnerships, research and development advancements, and updates to PG&E’s R&D Strategy Report—first released in June 2023—which outlines strategic collaboration opportunities in key areas such as energy supply and load management, integrated grid planning, electric vehicles and vehicle-to-grid applications, wildfire mitigation, undergrounding, and gas system decarbonization.
This fall event will feature a keynote address by Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E Corporation, along with a recorded discussion between Patti and Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft. Additional cross-sector dialogues with leading experts in AI, technology, and energy will be announced in the coming weeks.
“We’re collaborating with top innovators to build a clean, climate-resilient energy system based on safety here in California. There’s enormous potential for collaboration, with technology and AI driving smart electricity demand from data centers and EVs, ultimately benefiting the grid and all customers,” said Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E Corporation.
The summit will gather entrepreneurs, start-ups, thought leaders, utility peers, private industry, national research labs, agency leaders, and policymakers to accelerate the deployment of innovative solutions that bridge the gap between today’s energy system and California’s electrified and decarbonized future.
John Engel, editor-in-chief of DISTRIBUTECH® and POWERGRID International™, emphasized that the Innovation Summit offers a unique platform for utility leaders and innovators to address the most pressing challenges of the energy transition.
“After spending decades in the background, The Grid is now recognized as the cornerstone of economic growth and human prosperity. However, climate change, electrification, load growth, and decarbonization have drastically changed the landscape for delivering reliable and affordable power,” Engel said. “As North America’s largest utility event, DISTRIBUTECH is honored to extend its influence by partnering with PG&E, one of the most innovative utilities in the world.”
PG&E’s R&D strategy initiative supports the company’s True North Strategy, which focuses on three core components: rebuilding trust and delivering excellent customer service, designing a decarbonized, safe, and reliable energy system, and enabling these goals by developing strong foundational capabilities.
PG&E currently utilizes AI and machine learning across various applications, including meteorology, planning, inspections, monitoring, and maintenance, to detect, prevent, and respond to wildfire risks and enhance electric system resilience.
PG&E has also identified opportunities to further leverage AI for automated data quality management, improved data collection and analysis, and other applications that can enhance current processes and deliver better service to customers.
The R&D strategy initiative is key to fulfilling the commitments outlined in PG&E’s Climate Strategy Report, advancing the emerging technologies detailed in the company’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan, and strengthening PG&E’s existing electric technology programs and gas R&D efforts.
