Q&A with Don Reeves: Empowering Itron's Grid Edge Intelligence Strategy

The last few weeks have been full of transformative changes and exciting announcements for Itron. It began with the launch of our new brand identity, which ushered in a new era of grid edge intelligence to showcase the modern and innovative company we are today. The excitement continued at DISTRIBUTECH 2024 with the unveiling of several solutions and collaborations that reinforce Itron’s new era of intelligence at the grid edge. We also announced the acquisition of Elpis Squared, expanding Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio and adding expertise in grid planning, operations and engineering.  

After the conference, we sat down with Don Reeves, senior vice president of Outcomes, to get an inside perspective on the latest Itron buzz. Keep reading as Don shares what these announcements mean for Itron and how we enable a more resilient, reliable grid in a changing world. 

Q: What are the key takeaways from Itron’s recent announcements? 

A: All of Itron’s recent announcements reinforce our grid edge intelligence strategy. Itron is helping drive the transition to cleaner energy and water delivery while transforming the way grid operators address critical challenges. Our solutions provide visibility and control from the medium-voltage network all the way to the customer premise. We also recognize that the industry will need to work together, as Itron alone is not equipped to solve all the challenges utilities are facing today or in the future. We are continuing to collaborate with leading vendors across the utility industry so our customers can trust that we have an entire ecosystem of experts who can address their needs holistically. 

Q: How does Itron’s acquisition of Elpis Squared fit into the grid edge intelligence strategy? 

A: Itron’s acquisition of Elpis Squared strengthens our Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio with the capability to embed real-time, high-resolution grid edge data into the grid planning, operations and engineering process. This is a first for the industry and will enable enhanced insights for more accurate distribution grid modeling and analysis. Accelerating our product roadmap, creating more value for our customers and addressing the energy transition, this acquisition is pivotal for our ability to solve grid operators’ critical operational challenges. 

Q: Itron recently announced collaborations with Schneider Electric and GE Vernova. How will collaborating with these ADMS leaders benefit utilities and cities? 

A: Our collaborations are focused on data integration to enable greater visibility at the grid edge and optimization of distributed energy resources (DERs). According to the U.S. Energy Information and Administration, the U.S. grid’s capacity is expected to nearly double compared to 2022. Our collaboration with Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, enables the integration of our intelligent grid and DER management solutions to digitalize the demand and supply of electricity. This is critical for utilities as homeowners and businesses increasingly adopt DERs like rooftop solar, battery energy storage, EVs and microgrids. 

With GE Vernova, a purpose-built global energy company, we are integrating with their GrisOS Data Fabric to help utilities around the world leverage grid data to operate and orchestrate the grid in real-time, which will enable a more reliable, resilient grid. Our collaboration will close gaps in visibility that previously prevented utilities from identifying and resolving grid issues quickly and efficiently. 

Q: What role does meter data management (MDM) play in enabling Itron’s grid edge strategy? 

A: MDM is foundational for driving business operations and analytic outcomes. With DERs rising, it is critical that utilities can manage that data and support DERs with improved efficiency; the need for modern data management is evolving quickly. That’s why Itron recently launched the Itron Enterprise Edition (IEE) Cloud, which is an enterprise-grade, cloud-exclusive, MDM platform. With real-time streaming data, integrating operational data, new microservices and easy data access via the Itron DataHub, the IEE Cloud solution unlocks new use cases and enables more flexible, cost-effective and modern data management.     

Part of modern data management is enrichment of data and integration of generative AI. Itron recently announced the integration of Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service into our portfolio of data-driven Outcomes solutions. This integration will enable various utility departments to browse, learn about and subscribe to raw and enriched metering data, grid data, DER data and more – in a secure, user-friendly environment. Both solutions enable Itron to provide utilities with greater visibility and control at the grid edge to better manage the integration of increasingly distributed and intermittent loads and supply sources amid rising energy demand. 

Q: What else is Itron doing to empower utilities with visibility and control at the grid edge, especially with the increasing adoption of electric vehicles? 

A: The adoption rate of EVs continues to rise with light commercial vehicles projected to increase to 3.8 million in 2030. To address the rapidly increasing strain on the electric grid, Itron and The Mobility House are revolutionizing EV charging management with the Fast & Flexible Interconnect (FIX) program. This first-of-its-kind program is designed to help utilities and grid operators address interconnection delays and infrastructure challenges associated with EV fleet electrification. With FIX, transportation electrification goals are achieved more quickly and at lower costs than traditional methods of distribution load assessments and infrastructure upgrades. 

At DISTRIBUTECH, Itron introduced our Active Transformer Load and Voltage Monitoring (ATLM/ATVM) applications, which give utilities more visibility into the low-voltage distribution grid. Without ATLM/ATVM applications, utilities lack real-time visibility of asset performance at or below the transformer. For example, without real-time grid insights, if too many electric vehicles are charging under the same transformer at the same time, the transformer could be overloaded or its lifespan could be dramatically reduced, causing outages and costly upgrades. More visibility and control at the grid edge enables utilities to better manage the integration of intermittent loads with the rising energy demand. Integrated into the utility control solutions such as ADMS, customers can now operationalize these insights and more effectively optimize demand and supply constraints on the distribution grid, manage outages and improve voltage management – all critical factors to deliver reliable energy to utilities’ end customers.  

Q: How do these announcements relate to Itron’s new brand identity? 

A: Itron’s new brand identity symbolizes our evolution as a company and reinforces our commitment to innovating new ways for utilities and cities to manage energy and water. The brand refresh symbolizes our proven leadership in the industry, ability to provide more intelligence at the edge and dedication to understanding and solving our customers’ evolving needs.  

At Itron, we take pride in our role as a catalyst for positive change. This new identity highlights our focus on data and intelligence as a path forward to create a more resourceful world. 

Q: Where can people go to learn more? 

A: We are launching a new website at the end of March that will include more information on our Grid Edge Intelligence solutions. In the meantime, check out the press release from DISTRIBUTECH that summarizes our portfolio.