Ask Me Anything: How Will AI Start Pairing with Energy Distribution?
Students ask some of the best questions about energy…the kind that can spark an entire class discussion.
In our new Ask Me Anything (AMA) series, Dr. Scott Tinker and Switch Classroom experts answer real questions submitted by students and teachers. Each month, we’ll tackle one big energy question with insights from experts in the field.
Will we run out of energy someday? Will new technologies replace the fuels we use today? What happens as energy demand keeps growing?
This month’s question is answered by Dr. Lindsey Anderson, Switch Career’s Professional Development Program Manager, who brings real-world experience from both the energy industry and her time at the U.S. Department of Energy.
This month’s question comes from:
Cristopher Marshall’s Class, Heritage HS, Frisco, TX.
Have a question from your classroom? You can submit one here.
Student Question
“How will AI start pairing with energy distribution?”
The Short Answer:
We have all heard how much electricity AI demand centers will require. But AI can also help solve electric grid challenges. There are many ways AI might intertwine with energy distribution. One main way is to help us manage our electric grid in a much smarter, faster way. AI can help coordinate all of the distributed energy resources (DER) on the grid (think batteries, solar panels, car chargers, and thermostats) to create what are sometimes called “virtual power plants”. AI will be able to better predict electricity demand and then control when these items turn on or how much power they use at a certain time, helping to balance electricity demand and stabilize the grid without needing to generate more electricity. This not only reduces overall demand, but it can also help minimize the peaks and troughs of electricity demand in a normal day, lessening the amount of electricity power plants need to generate at high-demand times, and in turn reducing the amount of emissions from electricity generation.
Is This a Challenge?
Managing large-scale energy systems is always a challenge. Which makes it a great opportunity for students entering the workforce! The grid was originally built to bring electricity from one large, centrally located power plant to population centers like cities and towns via power lines (transmission and distribution wires). This means electricity used to mostly flow in one direction – from power plant to demand center. We now have solar panels on rooftops sending power back into the grid, millions of electric vehicles that need to charge, and wind farms that only generate when the wind blows. All of this creates an unpredictable, two-way flow of energy that our original systems weren’t built to handle. Using AI on top of aging infrastructure is like trying to run a modern video game on a computer from 1995 — the software is ready, but the hardware hasn’t caught up yet. Implementing an AI solution will require big investments in grid infrastructure and security, and coordination between grid operators, power plant operators, and DER owners, which could be challenging.
What Could the Future Look Like?
In the future, your home, your car, and even your neighborhood might all be connected to an AI-powered “smart grid” that automatically makes decisions to save energy and money. Your electric car could decide to charge itself at 2 AM, when electricity is cheaper and demand is lower. Your neighborhood’s solar panels could store extra energy in shared batteries–like chemical, pumped hydro, advanced capacitors, flywheels, as hydrogen, and more–and send it to nearby homes that need it. During a major storm, AI could reroute power away from damaged lines in seconds, preventing grid overload and blackouts that today might last for days. On a bigger scale, AI could help entire cities use their existing grids and electric generators in more efficient ways, saving energy, money, and emissions without ever “running out” of power, because it would balance supply and demand automatically.
Explore Energy Resources for Your Classroom
Want to dig deeper into how energy works and how technologies evolve? These Switch Classroom resources can help students explore the science behind this month’s answer.
Videos:
Classroom Lessons:
Ask Your Own Energy Question
Students often ask the best questions about energy, technology, and the future.
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Submit it (with their name and grade level!), and it may be featured in an upcoming AMA.