The digital transformation journey for grid operators

Capgemini and Schneider Electric explore the urgent transformation facing grid operators.

This decade is a turning point with the energy transition acceleration. Electric grids across the globe are built, modernized, and reshaped on a scale never seen before to meet a new electricity paradigm – and digital will play a key role in transforming the way grids are managed and operated. Our new Point of View, Digital transformation journey for grid operators, lays out the coming challenges for the energy transition backbone, the need to accelerate the digital grid transformation at scale and provides a clear vision of the path forward.

Yet there is no single route to achieve this complex journey that requires time, at least 10 to 15 years, and billions of dollars in investments. We identify four building blocks as key to the digital grid transformation journey:

• Network instrumentation – connecting real-time information from across the grid and bringing edge computing capabilities
• Grid operations improvement – automating and optimizing grid operations to ensure grid stability, resiliency and (cyber)security
• Advanced asset management – optimizing health of the whole system considering each of its parts
• Building a data-driven grid – leveraging data and AI across the grid ecosystem

All along this transformation, grid operators must coherently develop new people skills, new business processes, and new technology capabilities while orchestrating a new industrial ecosystem.

This paper is the result of a unique partnership between Schneider Electric and Capgemini. Schneider is a world leader in energy management and grid automation solutions, and Capgemini, world-class leader in Intelligent Industry, brings together business transformation, systems integration, data science, and engineering services. The result is a unique combination of complementary capabilities, solutions, and services that helps grid operators accelerate, de-risk, reduce costs and benefit from every step of their transformation journey.

The current realignment within the energy grid is a rare opportunity to embed flexibility and efficiency into the core of operations. Find out how to lay the groundwork for the future you want with our Point of View.