AI Is turning grid operations into a multi-decision system
Send us Fan Mail The electricity grid is already one of the most complex machines we run, and AI is set to raise both the challenge and the opportunity. In this episode, we’re joined by Loïc Tilman, Chief Information Officer of Elia Belgium, to explore what ‘practical AI’ looks like inside a transmission system operator that has to keep production and consumption balanced in real time. We look closely at where AI is already creating value in critical infrastructure: predictive maintenance, better forecasting, and smarter scheduling that adapts to volatility from renewable sources. Then we step back to examine the wider shift driven by large language models and AI agents. When AI becomes easy for everyone to use, governance becomes even more important. We discuss data classification, reference architecture, cybersecurity, and why uncontrolled ‘shadow IT’ is a serious risk in environments where reliability and safety are non-negotiable. From there, the discussion focuses on two pressures reshaping energy and technology: the surge in demand from data centres and the debate on sovereignty. Data centres can be built fast, but grid capacity and connections can take years, so flexibility, planning, and incentives become real-world constraints. Luis explains what sovereignty means in practice, why ‘freedom of choice’ matters more than complete independence, and how hybrid or sovereign cloud approaches support the ‘red button’ business continuity mindset in a national control centre. If you’re interested in AI in energy, grid reliability, cybersecurity, and the future of critical infrastructure, this episode is for you. Subscribe, share it with a colleague in technology or energy, and leave a review with the questions you’d like us to explore next. Join us and listen to all episodes on www.pwc.be/aiunscripted
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