In the wake of recent power disruptions caused by severe weather, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is pushing for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the country's electricity grid.
During a panel discussion at the University of the Philippines, the DOST's Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) emphasized the potential of AI to help prevent and address power outages.
Enrico C. Paringit, PCIEERD executive director, stated, “We’d like to look at possibly the role of AI in determining risks related to it and assessing the possible outages that could occur as a possible outcome of impending storms rather than when it happens.”
“The prospect is that we should have capabilities for anticipating possible problems, not only in power but also in water,” he added.
Paringit also shared that an existing startup company developed a system to assess and control the power grid through Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) areas. They have been coordinating with the Department of Energy (DOE) and electric cooperatives as well as distribution utility firms.
“In so far as addressing particularly power outages caused by hazards, this is a matter of quickly identifying where the outages occurred and the cause of it,” he emphasized.
Furthermore, the DOE and DOST are setting a forum on AI integration on power energy applications for the last quarter of 2024. This would expand current capabilities in smart technologies and welcome more research topics.
Earlier this week, the DOE initially logged nearly one million consumers experienced power interruptions brought by the Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine”.
The National Electrification Administration (NEA) noted last Wednesday that six electric cooperatives (ECs) faced brownouts, while 29 ECs had partial outages due to the storm’s impact.
Paringgit elaborated that AI applications can aid important sectors like energy, materials, and disaster management. The PCIEERD stated that it has been assisting with research on how electricity should be distributed using new technology.