The DSR Network AI, Energy and Climate: AI, Innovation and the Power Sector: Sandy Grace
Jan 28, 2026
Sandy Grace, VP for U.S. Policy and Regulatory Strategy at National Grid, brings utility leadership and regulatory know-how. She discusses why innovation is crucial for electrification and data center growth. She explains regulatory changes to spur tech adoption and shares AI use cases like grid operations, asset mapping, and speeding interconnection.
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Energy System Facing Historic Transformation
- The energy system faces its biggest transformation since the Industrial Revolution due to rising electrification and AI-driven demand.
- Sandy Grace warns infrastructure build-out is too slow to meet rapidly emerging loads like data centers.
Regulatory Design Limits Utility Innovation
- Utilities prioritize safety, reliability, and affordability, which explains cautious adoption of new tech.
- Grace says regulatory design, not culture, is the main barrier to faster innovation.
Maximize Existing Asset Utilization First
- Pilot technologies that boost utilization of existing assets before building new infrastructure.
- Grace advises deploying software (e.g., Emerald AI) to flex data center loads and manage demand in real time.
