Building a business case around smart grid data.
Ron Clanton is a partner and the smart grid national sector leader for KPMG in the United States. He can be reached at rclanton@kpmg.com. This article represents the author’s views, and not necessarily those of KPMG.
Much has been said about the smart grid’s potential for transforming the utility business. But while the industry has focused on technology, process and organization, another factor—data—likely will prove to be a key transformational driver. Benefits for utilities and their customers depend on how effectively companies make use of a torrent of new and powerful data.
Smart grid represents the largest and most pervasive transformation that utilities will likely undertake, as it’s a transformation in infrastructure, business, and technology on an unprecedented scale. Smart grid also provides substantial amounts of new data, and utilities must decide how to best use that data for business value.
Like most large-scale transformation initiatives, smart grid projects traditionally focus on technology, process, and organization. However, a fourth element—data—has the potential to be a key transformational driver in helping utilities leverage new opportunities from smart grid investments.
Smart Grid Transformation
The smart grid transformation is a unique challenge, as it isn’t limited to a specific technology, functional area, or even organizational group. Its impact is broad and affects business operations, resources, infrastructure, systems, and data. In short, smart grid has the potential to transform a utility’s entire business.