Itron is working with Microsoft to help utilities access data across their business operations, providing grid edge intelligence.

The companies are integrating Microsoft’s gen AI Copilot technology into Itron’s IEOS intelligent edge operating system so utilities can use natural language queries to request information previously only available to their data scientists.

Utilities will be able to access essential data and insights more easily to accelerate decision-making, increase innovation, and manage repetitive tasks and queries quickly. The integration will be available globally during the second quarter of 2025.

Serving as a virtual assistant to utility operators, the AI-powered platform will allow utilities to access analytics for electricity, gas and water distribution devices, as well as distributed energy resources such as wind, solar and battery storage. The collaboration will enable rich database queries with access to data pools, leading to improved outcomes.

Built and running on the Microsoft Azure OpenAI service, Itron’s grid edge intelligence ensures secure data processing at the grid edge. Initial applications that will use the AI-powered platform are Itron’s IEE meter data management system and Operations Optimizer to enable common inquiries about metering, network and customer electricity usage.

With gen AI, utilities can query the platform to obtain the information they need, providing holistic answers and insights. Equipped with natural language queries, IEOS with Microsoft Copilot will understand, interpret and generate questions and answers in a way that feels natural and intuitive. This will enable utilities and cities to improve and streamline their operations while offering a host of other benefits, including:

• Customer consumption analysis: AI improves the ability to identify customers with unusual consumption patterns, such as super-users, and enables targeted behavioural programmes, improving customer satisfaction.
• Validation rule insights: AI can identify which validation rules fail most frequently, aiding in system improvements.
• Accelerate innovation: The platform will reduce the time it takes to roll out analytics applications to see the benefits of new components as they plug into the platform.
• Comprehensive data access: AI lets users access and analyse data across Itron Enterprise Edition meter data manager, distributed intelligence applications and other sources on the IEOS.
• Cross-departmental queries: Users can ask questions or create charts that require data from multiple departments, such as distributed energy resource holdings, billing data and grid topology data.
• Natural-language reporting: AI can generate reports, charts and graphs from any data hosted on IEOS using natural language prompts. For example, users can ask “Show me load anomalies over the past seven days for these addresses” or “What was the peak energy usage last month?” and receive accurate, comprehensive responses.
• Data quality improvement: AI provides suggestions and feedback to enhance data quality, accuracy and analysis

By using AI, IEOS transforms complex data interactions into simple, intuitive processes, boosting operational efficiency and decision-making capabilities.

The biggest hurdle to implementing AI is a lack of expertise in this area, cited by 43% of utilities. With IEOS (na.itron.com/documents/44647/8408607/Itron+Intelligent+Edge+Operating+System.pdf) as the foundation of Itron’s grid edge intelligence portfolio, adoption should be seamless and not require utility workers to have technical coding skills to use the AI functionalities, as the platform is pre-integrated.

“With gen AI, you don’t need to be a data scientist to generate reports and obtain the insights necessary for efficient operations” said Don Reeves, senior vice president at Itron (www.itron.com). “IEOS will be able to do this for you, pulling reports and analytics all within a single platform that leverages detailed data at the grid edge. With this collaboration, IEOS will enable utilities and cities to take advantage of the power of generative AI to boost efficiency, unlock creativity and enhance data management.”

Darryl Willis from Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) added: “Itron’s grid edge intelligence portfolio is used by cities and leading utilities to prepare for the rise of distributed renewable energy resources. Integrating Microsoft Azure OpenAI service and Copilot with IEOS enables easy-access to siloed data residing in multiple systems across the organisation, accelerating data-driven insights and actions to optimise grid operations.”