GE Digital signs collaboration agreement with AWS to accelerate grid modernisation

GE Digital announced that it has signed a multiyear strategic collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) aimed at helping utilities accelerate grid modernisation.

Through this collaboration, GE Digital and AWS plan to deliver intelligent grid orchestration solutions. These software solutions will help utilities digitally transform, modernise the power grid, and accelerate the energy transition.

GE Digital will deliver a new grid operating software platform, GridOS, and cloud-enabled solutions that are designed to be secure, quick to deploy, and reduce operational and infrastructure costs for energy organisations. The two companies aim to also help streamline the migration of on-premises solutions onto AWS, execute integrated go-to-market activities, launch solutions in AWS Marketplace, and help train developers.

“Achieving the goal of a clean energy grid requires utilities and their technology partners to accelerate and scale the deployment of innovative, secure, and cost-effective solutions,” said Mahesh Sudhakaran, General Manager of Grid Software at GE Digital. “This collaboration brings together GE Digital’s GridOS hybrid cloud software capabilities with the expertise and infrastructure support of AWS to help utilities transform their operations and meet their goal of providing reliable, affordable, and clean energy. Together, we are focused on delivering the modern solutions the utility industry needs to orchestrate the clean energy grid.”

New Zealand-based Vector Limited, the country’s largest distributor of electricity and gas, and owner and operator of networks, which span the greater Auckland region, is demonstrating the benefit of deploying cloud-compatible grid software solutions. Vector has successfully deployed GE Digital’s Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) software, which is designed to increase reliability, productivity, and efficiency in the management and orchestration of the electricity distribution network, on AWS Outposts, a family of fully managed solutions that delivers the same AWS infrastructure and services to virtually any on-premises or edge location for a truly consistent hybrid experience. By deploying a hybrid solution, Vector is experiencing the best of both worlds as they extend the benefits of AWS cloud services and infrastructure to operational technology (OT) provided by GE Digital’s ADMS.

“As a majority consumer-owned energy provider in New Zealand’s power distribution environment, Vector has a special interest in ensuring access to reliable and affordable energy for our customers. Automating deployment and testing of critical software is one of the keys to our success,” said Shailesh Manga, Chief Digital Officer of Vector Limited. “GE Digital’s ADMS software combined with the cloud capabilities we get from AWS, is allowing us to rethink the way we deploy and scale software across our service area, and even how we could potentially standardize these services and offer this capability to other utilities. Ultimately, this partnership can help reduce costs for other utilities while accelerating decarbonization efforts in New Zealand.”

With this new agreement in place, GE Digital and AWS will work together to help electric utilities accelerate hybrid cloud adoption when and where needed, along with deployment of solutions on the GridOS platform to solve mission-critical challenges at the speed of the energy transition.

“As the energy industry undergoes massive transformation, the cloud offers real opportunities for utilities to modernize the power grid to improve reliability and resiliency, and bring renewable energy projects online faster,” said Howard Gefen, General Manager for Energy and Utilities at AWS. “Grid decentralization and decarbonization—driven by the integration of distributed renewable energy sources like solar and wind—are advancing quickly. Using the power and capabilities of the cloud in combination with grid orchestration software from GE Digital, utilities can embrace emerging technologies like internet of things and high-performance computing to innovate faster, and balance the urgent need to decarbonize the grid and deliver more reliable and affordable energy to their customers.”