PODCAST | PPL Electric Utilities, Head of Data & Analytics: We Are Looking at AI and ML for Prediction-Based Asset Management

PPL Electric Utilities is implementing data, analytics, and insights to transform its operations and asset management strategy. Abhijit Bhatwadekar, Head of Data & Analytics, PPL Electric Utilities, speaks with David Williams, Managing Director, AHEAD, about the organization’s strategy priorities and how it’s implementing AI and ML to streamline operations.

Bhatwadekar has been in the technology space for over 20 years and has worked across a variety of industries such as finance, retail, insurance, and utilities. He has worked on several large global data strategy programs over the past decade.

He currently heads PPL’s data and analytics practice. Key digital and data and analytics priorities include enhancing its smart grids, and investing heavily in distributed energy resources to ensure alternative sources of energy and meet its net-zero emissions target by 2050.

“To support all of this, we're looking at transforming the way we operate, and we're looking at data and analytics and insights to actually help enable transformation from an operating perspective,” he explains. “PPL is also moving towards a product-centric model and embedding agile principles in the way we work so that we're nimble and we can turn things around fast.”

Bhatwadekar says PPL is considering implementing AI and ML to manage and maintain PPL’s assets,  the infrastructures, and data points. “We are shifting focus from a schedule-based asset management strategy to a prediction-based asset management strategy,” he explains.

PPL Utilities is also implementing AI and ML and data through its sensors in the smart grids. “We have smart grids that have sensors and relays on our grids, which send us real-time streaming data. So we're looking at different ways to make predictions in real-time, based on what we're seeing at the grids, which wasn't previously possible,” he adds.

Like many businesses, one of PPL’s key challenges regarding predictive analytics and insights is accumulating high-quality, accurate, and timelyEDITED data to use in decision making.

PPL’s strategy focuses on two major principles — strict data governance followed by master data management principles.

“So, what we do from a data governance perspective is, any time we get data in, we have it cataloged;  data is captured around the data that we've collected,” Bhatwadekar explains. “We have data stewards across the enterprise who helped take care of the data, ensuring that what we've selected is of quality. The other thing we do is apply master data management principles to the data that comes into the platform. That helps us make sure that all of our data is well connected and of high quality,” Bhatwadekar concludes.