Energised: Banking on Smart Grids

Expanding our global electricity networks is key to unlocking a renewable future. But, traditional grids need to adapt too. They don’t just need to be bigger; they need to be smarter and more efficient.  Much of the equipment on the electric grid was built decades ago and needs to be upgraded. Our energy infrastructure was designed for a world in which electricity flowed in one direction – from the grid to people. Now, with homes and businesses increasingly supplying energy themselves, we have a grid with two-way flows of electricity, multiple different energy sources that need to be coordinated, and high voltage power from renewable plants, like offshore wind farms. Digital technologies are the key to handling this complexity.  But, what do the grids of the future look like in practice? What are the evolving technologies that will enable the grids to be more resilient and robust than they are at present? How can data and digitisation help us to make smarter, more efficient energy decisions?  In this episode, our host Kamal Ahmed is joined by Marta Solaz, Head of Grid Operations at Scottish Power Networks; Charles Wood, Deputy Director of Energy UK; and, Rob Gramlich, Founder and President of Grid Strategies LLC for a discussion about innovation in the grid: the progress that has been made – and what more needs to be done.  For more information please visit iberdrola.com — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected].  At Intelligence Squared we’ve got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go. It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices