Today I spoke at the XI International Congress of Power Engineers "Ukraine's Energy System: The Path to Sustainable Development and Investment. Legal Mechanisms. Financial Instruments. Technical Solutions.", held as part of the XXII International Energy Business Forum "5E" at the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv. The congress was organized by the Ukrainian National Committee of CIGRE and NTSEU. My talk was titled "'Blind Grids' and the Economics of Revival: Why Rebuilding Energy Starts with GIS."
I want to share why this topic matters so much to me.
Victory will require energy
We all hope for victory and work toward it, each in our own place. But victory is not only the front line. It is also a country that must live, work, produce and build. And all of that requires energy. A lot of energy, reliable and affordable.
That is why energy is not a niche topic for a narrow circle of specialists. It is a question of what Ukraine will be after victory.
Not rebuilding the old, but rethinking it
I am convinced that the future is not in recreating what was. The future is in rethinking, reorganizing and restructuring in new realities. Among them are new energy realities.
We have to account for future threats that few people thought about just a few years ago. And we have to understand that energy demand changes very dynamically, following the challenges of the time. A system designed for yesterday's needs will not necessarily meet tomorrow's. So the rebuild should not be a copy but a new version: more resilient, more flexible, smarter.
Digitization as the foundation
There is a base on which Ukrainian energy is being rebuilt today. And I believe digitization is the key to it.
We need to start with an honest inventory: what we have, what remains and what was. Without it, it is impossible to plan, to calculate, or to convince investors. Reliable asset data is the foundation for further development, for investment projects and for any resource-heavy decisions. When a grid is "blind," every decision is made at random. When it is digitized, we gain the ability to see, compare and choose the best option.
I have already written about the role of geographic information systems in rebuilding Ukraine's energy sector in my article for CIGRE. Today's talk continues the same line of thought.
Grid controllability and AI
I see another very large potential in increasing grid controllability. This is especially relevant now, as artificial intelligence demands more and more energy. AI increasingly affects our lives and has very significant potential, but that potential can only be realized when the energy system is able to respond flexibly to new demand.
A controllable grid is a grid that knows itself, sees load in real time and can redistribute resources where they are needed most. And once again, it all starts with data.
What follows from this
In short:
- Rebuilding energy means rethinking, not copying the old.
- The first step is a digital inventory: what exists, what remains, what was.
- Reliable data is the basis for investment and large projects.
- Grid controllability is the key to an energy system that can withstand both threats and growing demand, including from AI.
Thank you to the organizers for the invitation and to colleagues for the substantive conversations. The energy system of the future is being built today, and I am glad to be part of this work.