The massive incorporation of renewable energy and storage is adding a new layer of complexity for electric utilities. It's no longer just about adding installed capacity, but about managing thousands of interconnected assets, distributed across vast geographical areas and generating real-time information.
In this context, the main difficulty many companies face remains the same: information scattered across multiple platforms that are not integrated. According to Geovanny Solera , Senior Infrastructure Business Development Manager at Esri , the lack of a unified view limits organizations' analytical and response capabilities.
“Analysis can be done to understand the relationship that exists between all the different assets or the environment in which the asset is located, and to unify that data that typically exists in silos within a company, which are not always integrated with each other,” says Solera.
This issue is particularly relevant in a scenario where electricity grids are increasingly incorporating renewable generation, BESS systems, transmission infrastructure, distributed energy resources, and new operational requirements. To meet this challenge, utilities are accelerating digitalization processes that will allow them to manage all this information under a single operational framework.
Esri currently works with more than 15,000 electric and gas companies worldwide , including companies like PG&E and Enel Green Power. Through ArcGIS, the company enables network modeling, asset visualization, integration of terrain information, and analysis of geographic variables that impact operations.
“There are companies globally that are using our solution for site suitability, to understand the best location for a wind turbine or solar panels,” the executive says, alluding to the fact that the ability to relate technical information to the physical environment is also gaining importance in the planning of new projects.
This trend coincides with the accelerated growth of energy storage systems in Latin America. In Chile alone, the Chilean Renewable Energy and Storage Association (ACERA) reports 1,691 MW and 6,964 MWh of BESS capacity in operation , while another 6,385 MW and 29,018 MWh are under construction. In addition, 15,460 MW have been approved and 12,624 MW are under evaluation .
Most of that development corresponds to hybrid configurations between solar photovoltaic energy and storage, a combination that increases the number of assets that must be monitored and maintained throughout their life cycle.
Meanwhile, Argentina received bids for 8,335.9 MW of storage capacity in the AlmaSADI tender, more than twelve times the originally offered volume. Brazil, for its part, has just launched its first national auction for stand-alone BESS projects with 15-year contracts.
For Roberto Cadiz , Senior Infrastructure Manager at Esri Chile, the expansion of these systems is changing the way companies manage their infrastructure: “ In practice, what we do with them is give meaning to asset maintenance in the case of these batteries .”
From reactive maintenance to anticipating events
Information integration is also transforming the management of critical assets. Beyond simply registering equipment, utilities are looking to identify behavioral patterns, anticipate failures, and optimize on-site interventions.
“When we talk about a gas, water or electricity company, ArcGIS systems are like a system of systems pouring information, in real time in some cases,” says Cadiz.
The use of georeferenced information also allows for the incorporation of external variables that were traditionally excluded from operational analysis. Floods, fires, earthquakes, or meteorological events can be modeled to assess potential impacts on infrastructure.
According to Solera, the platform also facilitates sharing information through mobile and web applications, allowing different areas of an organization to work on the same source of information.
“The tool helps manage, analyze, and share data through mobile or web applications to make better decisions regarding electrical operations,” he emphasizes.
Digitalization also generates concrete economic impacts. The executive asserts that migrating from manual processes to mobile tools can increase productivity by up to 55% , depending on each organization's starting point.
In addition, there are specific cases where the use of geospatial intelligence has reduced operating costs. These include Miami-Dade County, which saved $2 million by optimizing routes, and UPS, which reported savings exceeding $400 million through advanced route planning systems.
As renewable energy projects, batteries, and distributed assets grow, the challenge is no longer solely technological. The ability to integrate dispersed information and transform it into operational decisions is emerging as one of the factors that will define grid efficiency during the next stage of the energy transition.