PG&E to Host Innovation Summit presented by DISTRIBUTECH on Nov. 13

By Paul Doherty

AI, grid-enhancing technologies, stabilizing energy costs, enabling good load growth, advancing electrification, and more, will take center stage at PG&E's 2024 Innovation Summit presented by DISTRIBUTECH on Nov. 13 in San Jose.

The 2024 summit will showcase breakthrough partnerships, R&D advancements and updates to PG&E's R&D Strategy Report - originally published in June 2023 - which outlines opportunities for strategic collaboration across several key focus areas including energy supply and load management, integrated grid planning, electric vehicles and vehicle-to-grid applications, wildfire mitigation, undergrounding, and decarbonizing the gas system.

The event will feature a keynote with Patti Poppe, PG&E Corporation CEO, along with a recorded conversation between Poppe and Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft. Additional cross-sector conversations with thought leaders in AI, technology, and energy will be announced in the coming weeks.

"We're working with the best and the brightest building a clean, climate-resilient energy system on a foundation of safety here in California," Poppe said. "Collaboration opportunities abound with technology and AI paired with good electricity demand from data centers and EVs benefiting the grid and all customers."

The summit will bring together entrepreneurs, start-ups, thought leaders, utility peers, private industry, national research labs, agency leaders and policymakers to collaborate in swiftly deploying novel solutions - at scale - that bridge the gap between today's energy system and California's electrified and decarbonized future.

John Engel, editor-in-chief of DISTRIBUTECHand the POWERGRID International utility news publication, said the Innovation Summit presents a unique opportunity for utility leaders and innovators to confront the most urgent challenges facing the energy transition.

"After spending decades in the background of society, The Grid is now rightfully identified as the linchpin to economic growth and human prosperity," Engel said. "But climate change, electrification, load growth, and decarbonization have drastically altered the playbook for providing reliable and affordable power. As North America's largest utility event, DISTRIBUTECH is honored to extend its impact by partnering with PG&E, one the most innovative utilities in the world."

PG&E's R&D strategy initiative aims to help achieve the company's True North Strategy, which has three major components: focusing on rebuilding trust and delivering excellent service for customers; architecting a decarbonized, safe, and reliable energy system; and enabling these outcomes by building strong foundational capabilities.

PG&E currently leverages AI and machine learning across the company for applications in meteorology, planning, inspections, monitoring, and maintenance to help detect, prevent, and respond to the risk of wildfires and achieve greater electric system resiliency.

PG&E has identified opportunities to further leverage AI for more automated data quality management, improved data collection and analysis, and other applications that can augment current processes and result in improved service for customers.

PG&E's R&D strategy initiative helps to realize the commitments outlined in its Climate Strategy Report, build upon the current emerging technologies detailed in the company's Wildfire Mitigation Plan, and enhance the company's existing emerging electric technology programs and gas R&D efforts.

Registration for the Innovation Summit will open Aug. 29, and the event will have robust in-person and virtual participation options.

Visit www.pge.com/innovation for information about PG&E's Innovation Summit 2024 and to learn more about PG&E's efforts to accelerate energy R&D.

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