The role of technology in the energy transition has been talked about for years. In a speech at the Leaders Summit on Climate in 2021, International Energy Agency Director Fatih Birol said:

“IEA analysis shows that about half the reductions to get to net zero emissions in 2050 will need to come from technologies that are not yet ready for market. This calls for massive leaps in innovation. Innovation across batteries, hydrogen, synthetic fuels, carbon capture and many other technologies.”

So what major advances in technology have we seen in the industry since that speech? And what role does current technology have in driving innovation in the industry?

From Google’s AI-driven efficiency programs to cutting-edge technologies improving grid performance, this month we’re looking at the tech that’s needed to accelerate the path to net zero.

Carolyn and Laura are joined by Neil Osborne, Google’s Chief Energy Evangelist (yes that’s the real title), as he shares how the company is using AI to optimise energy usage. As Carolyn explains, data centres are energy-hungry. So at the same time they’re saving energy with AI optimisations, they’re using it. How are companies like Google addressing this dilemma?

Other key technologies discussed in this episode are:

Dynamic Line Ratings (DLR):

This technology is already helping National Grid to unlock up to 40% extra capacity for electricity to flow safely through their power lines. We speak to Alex Houghtaling from DLR operator LineVision to find out more.

Smart Conductors: Jason Huang from TS Conductor joins Laura and discusses revolutionary smart conductor technology that measures temperature and sag in real time. This can help utilities push more power through the grid safely and optimise capacity, aiding the global transition to renewables.

Battery Storage Safety: Eric Stein from Viridi explains how advanced lithium-ion battery storage systems, initially developed for NASA, are making grid storage safer and more reliable.

AI for Grid Maintenance: National Grid uses AI to monitor and maintain the condition of its infrastructure, from predicting the impacts of climate change on vital assets to analysing the network via autonomous drones. Gary Stockdale, National Grid’s Net Zero Innovation Manager, discusses how innovation is helping them to work smarter in the mission to net zero.

The transition to clean energy is the biggest challenge of our generation, and its unprecedented nature means that totally new ways of thinking and innovative solutions are required for it to be delivered successfully.

This means the industry must continue to innovate, to drive this change at the speed and scale needed. Investment in new technology, the forging of new partnerships and the creation of new business models are all advancing the energy transition.

To help keep you in the know, Carolyn and Laura are joined by experts in energy, business and climate to explore the ways the industry is innovating to tackle the biggest challenges in reaching net zero.

Carolyn kicks things off by talking with Steve Smith, Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer at National Grid. He explains why the speed and scale of progress needed for a clean, fair and affordable energy transition won’t be achieved if the industry continues to take the same approaches that have been taken historically.

Carolyn and Steve also discuss National Grid’s collaborations with start-up companies to develop next-generation technologies and much more.Plus, innovation across the sector such as a new way of looking at grids; the applications for AI and modern computing power, and innovative approaches to modular networks to deal with changing demand from customers.

Meanwhile, Laura was at National Grid’s Innovation Day event, discussing everything from the changing relationship between small and big business, how to drive change in the industry and the collaboration between utilities and buyers. Jake Oster is Director of Energy and Environmental Policy at Amazon, and he spoke to Laura about Amazon’s sustainability and net zero plans. Amazon is the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, with 500 wind and solar projects across more than 25 countries around the world.

Denise Massey is Managing Director of the Energy Innovation Centre, and she discusses the evolving collaboration between big and small business in accelerating the deployment of clean energy. Laura also speaks with Nora Brownell, Co-Founder of ESPY Energy Solutions and partner in Clean Energy Ventures, about the role of innovation in the energy transition, and how to create a clean energy future where everyone benefits.

Collaboration - be it with government, utilities, investors or stakeholders – plays a vital role in the energy transition and only by working together can we achieve the kind of innovation needed for a clean energy future.

Connecting more clean energy projects to the electricity grid is one of the most critical issues in driving the clean energy transition. Legacy ‘first come first served’ approaches, along with a rapid growth in the number of projects looking to connect, have led to stalled, or "zombie" projects waiting in the queue to be connected - so what’s being done to resolve this?

Across the world, it's estimated we'll need 11,000 gigawatts by 2030 to triple renewable energy capacity. In the UK, electricity capacity may need to double by 2030 to achieve net zero goals, and in the US, renewable electricity deployment needs to significantly ramp up to achieve a zero-carbon energy supply.

To discuss the rise in connection applications and the plans to accommodate them, Laura speaks to Ruth Shaw, Customer and Stakeholder Experience Manager in Electricity Transmission at National Grid. Together they look at groundbreaking projects like Dogger Bank – the world’s largest offshore wind farm – and how these projects are providing the blueprint for a streamlined connections process.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Carolyn is joined by Sandy Grace, Vice President of US Policy and Regulatory Strategy for National Grid, to uncover how the US is tackling similar challenges. Innovative solutions like bi-directional flows and vehicle-to-grid technology are poised to revolutionize the grid. Sandy explains how they work, and analyses the need for regulatory reforms to speed up connections to the grid.

Find out more about the upgrades to the grid happening in the UK and US at https://www.nationalgrid.com/the-great-grid-upgrade and https://upstateupgrade.nationalgrid.com/