In our Energy Transition Talks podcast series, CGI experts explore key challenges and opportunities in the evolving energy value chain. In our first episode, Kristy Ortiz and Steve Ridley discuss the impact of grid modernization on the energy distribution system — from policy and market changes to technology advances. This article provides a summary of the discussion.Not long ago, traditional utilities focused on generating electricity and transmitting and distributing it to end customers. Now, with increasing distributed energy generation such as renewables, the role of traditional transmission and distribution utilities is changing. Additionally, energy consumers, who now are producers of their own electricity (or prosumers), are interacting directly with the grid.

“I’ve never seen change at this velocity before within the utilities industry,” says Steve Ridley. He likens the shift to what happened in the movie and television industry when its distribution channels evolved from theatres and cable TV channels to today’s plethora of streaming services. “Look at platforms like YouTube or Tik Tok where consumers are now pushing their own content out on the Internet,” he says, drawing a parallel to consumers generating their own power from solar panels and feeding it back to the grid. More on CGI Energy & utilities