In late March, Avangrid unveiled a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool built to help the company’s field technicians more quickly and efficiently respond to technical issues at its wind plants.

The First Time Right Autopilot generative AI program helps technicians diagnose and resolve possible problems on wind turbines. Technicians engage with the program via voice or text, providing background information on the issue, and the program provides them with step-by-step instructions and documentation through their mobile devices. The program already has been installed at plants in Iowa and New York. Avangrid is planning to deploy it across its fleet later this year.

“By leveraging generative AI to provide real-time, expert-level support, we are empowering our technicians with the tools they need to improve reliability and efficiency within our fleet,” Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra said in a statement. “This is a testament to our commitment to shaping the future of energy through continuous innovation and technological advancement.”

The program is helping Avangrid technicians safely and more quickly identify technical problems, cutting down on the amount of time turbines are taken offline. It is the company’s latest effort to leverage AI capabilities to assist in its operations and better serve its customers. Last year, Avangrid unveiled Ava, a customer-facing AI energy assistant, in certain markets, and it announced a pilot project involving an AI-powered robotic dog to assist with substation inspections. And, in 2023, Avangrid and Iberdrola stood up a data science and analytics team to manage the company’s AI systems that help improve grid reliability and serve customers.

For the third straight year, Southern Company delivered 100-percent clean, renewable energy to power the TOUR Championship, the PGA TOUR’s season-ending event in Atlanta.

During the event, held at East Lake Golf Club in late August and early September, Southern Company and its subsidiary companies, Georgia Power and Southern Company Gas, provided 500,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy. They also supplied the event with carbon-neutral natural gas captured from landfills to mitigate emissions from natural gas appliances in the venue’s clubhouse.

Additionally, 90 percent of golf carts used during the event were electric, and battery- and solar-powered cell phone charging stations were available for fans and patrons. Electric vehicle chargers also were stationed in the parking lot for players and fans to use during the event.

“I am very excited about the innovations we have been able to bring to the TOUR Championship,“ said Southern Company Director of New Ventures Robin Lainer. “Being able to deploy these solutions in a way that is seamless and integrated gives
patrons a better experience.”

Through Southern Company’s partnership with the PGA TOUR, last year’s championship eventually received an international award for sustainability in golf from the Scotland-based Golf Environmental Organisation (GEO) Sustainable Golf Foundation. The 2023 championship was the first such event to be certified by the GEO for its commitment to sustainability.

“We really couldn’t have been GEO certified without Southern Company,” PGA TOUR Director of Sustainability Brazos Barber said in a statement. “They are honestly the kind of a partner that you dream of, especially on the sustainability front. They really believe in sustainability and in reducing their energy footprint.”

Southern Company is one of 50 EEI member companies that has set ambitious emissions reduction targets for the years ahead, aiming for its electric and natural gas operations to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. As of last year, the company’s emissions were down 49 percent from 2007 levels.

Historically, major athletic events like the TOUR Championship have driven significant short-term energy demand. Through its sustainability and clean energy efforts, Southern Company estimates that it helped avoid the production of 650,000
pounds of carbon emissions—the equivalent of 245 gasoline-powered vehicles being driven for an entire year.

The event is just the latest example of EEI member companies actively working to supply some of America’s biggest and most high-profile events with resilient clean energy. Earlier this year, AES Indiana worked to ensure all venues and hotels associated with February’s 2024 National Basketball Association All-Star Game were powered by renewable energy. AES Indiana similarly applied more than 1.1-million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy credits when it hosted the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in June.

Also this year, NV Energy worked with partners in and around Las Vegas to provide clean, renewable energy to Allegiant Stadium during Super Bowl LVIII.