America’s power grid is facing a perfect storm. Artificial intelligence data centers, electric vehicles, and reindustrialization are driving electricity demand far beyond what today’s infrastructure was built to support. Utilities are under pressure to expand capacity, improve resilience, and cut outage frequency, but doing so through traditional means is expensive, slow, and often politically blocked.
Schneider Electric is offering a different approach. The French energy automation firm has launched the One Digital Grid platform, an AI-powered, modular software suite designed to help utilities modernize their operations without ripping out existing infrastructure. Officially announced on November 18, 2025, the platform integrates planning, real-time operations, and asset management using artificial intelligence and data-driven automation.
The company timed the global debut with major energy industry events in Bilbao and Las Vegas, underscoring what it sees as a critical inflection point in the grid’s digital transformation. Internal projections from Schneider Electric suggest the United States will need to add between 1,000 and 2,000 terawatt hours of electricity every decade to meet escalating demand from electrification and AI computing. That load increase is roughly equivalent to powering an additional 90 million homes annually.
The One Digital Grid platform is Schneider Electric’s response to this accelerating strain. By embedding AI and real-time intelligence into existing systems, the offering aims to reduce outage durations, speed up fault detection, and extend the lifespan of aging grid infrastructure. Executives say it’s not about replacing the grid; it’s about upgrading its brain.
Why utilities are turning to Schneider Electric’s platform amid rising energy demands and grid pressure
The One Digital Grid platform was unveiled simultaneously at Enlit Europe in Spain and the Innovation Summit North America in the United States. These events brought together thousands of energy professionals, policymakers, and infrastructure leaders. The timing reflects broader industry efforts to accelerate investment in grid modernization before rising demand outpaces system resilience.
Schneider Electric’s strategy centers on creating software-driven infrastructure layers that add intelligence to legacy systems. Unlike traditional utility upgrades that require physical hardware replacement, the new platform operates as an overlay, integrating with existing grid components while introducing automation, forecasting, and asset optimization through artificial intelligence.
Frédéric Godemel, Executive Vice President of Energy Management at Schneider Electric, stated that the focus is shifting from pure supply to delivering reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy in the face of aging infrastructure and extreme weather. The platform is designed to meet this need while allowing utilities to adopt modular components based on local requirements and capital budgets.
What AI features make the One Digital Grid platform different from legacy grid systems?
At the core of the One Digital Grid platform are three key artificial intelligence-powered capabilities that address some of the most persistent challenges in grid management.
The Estimated Time of Restoration feature uses real-time grid data, weather forecasts, historical patterns, and crew availability to generate accurate power restoration timelines. This feature is designed to be especially useful during wildfires, storms, and Public Safety Power Shutoffs. The system also integrates with third-party tools like AiDASH to strengthen preparedness workflows.
The Grid AI Assistant, embedded within Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure ADMS suite, helps control room teams make faster operational decisions by troubleshooting outages and optimizing grid flows in real time. This feature aims to reduce the cognitive load on operators and shorten response windows during critical events.
Another layer of automation is offered through AI-based network model tuning. This tool continuously compares the digital model of the grid with live operational data to detect inconsistencies and correct mapping errors. By aligning digital and physical network data, utilities can avoid outages caused by blind spots or model drift and reduce operational inefficiencies over time.
All three features are designed for plug-and-play deployment across diverse utility architectures, making them suitable for both large investor-owned utilities and smaller municipal grids.
How Microsoft Azure is powering the hybrid cloud layer of grid modernization
The platform has been developed on Microsoft Azure, allowing utilities to run their operations on a secure and scalable hybrid-cloud environment. Schneider Electric’s integration with Microsoft extends beyond basic hosting and includes tools such as Azure OpenAI services, Defender for IoT, Sentinel, and Azure Arc. These provide cybersecurity, telemetry processing, and cloud-native machine learning capabilities tailored to energy systems.
Microsoft’s Darryl Willis, Corporate Vice President of Energy and Resources Industry, stated that the partnership was designed to make AI deployment faster and more practical for utilities facing rising outage risks and grid complexity. The hybrid-cloud model offers deployment flexibility for utilities operating under regulatory constraints or in regions with varying IT maturity.
By running compute-intensive tasks in the cloud while retaining control system data on premises, utilities can scale modernization efforts based on need, regulatory environment, and geographic context.
What early results show about the financial and operational impact for utilities
Utilities using Schneider Electric’s Advanced Distribution Management System, which forms the digital backbone of the new platform, have already reported strong performance outcomes. A Forrester Consulting study found that utilities achieved a 184 percent return on investment over a 16-month period, with $62 million in business value and $40 million in net financial gains.
Operationally, utilities using this core technology reported up to 20 percent fewer regulatory penalties due to improved outage response times. Control room staff experienced up to 65 percent time savings in coordinating grid events, and field crews were able to identify and resolve faults up to 35 percent faster due to improved data visibility and decision support.
Cybersecurity was also flagged as a priority in the study. With connected infrastructure increasingly exposed to attacks, the platform incorporates hardened security protocols and AI-based anomaly detection to secure critical systems against unauthorized access or data manipulation.
These metrics were presented by Schneider Electric as validation of the commercial and operational viability of its software-first grid modernization model, which is being pitched to regulators, utility CFOs, and infrastructure investment boards globally.
What analysts expect from global rollout and sector adoption in 2026 and beyond
Schneider Electric has confirmed that the One Digital Grid platform is available globally effective November 18, 2025. The platform is being actively positioned in North America, where federal and state mandates for grid reliability and decarbonization are driving investment into digital infrastructure. However, expansion into Asia-Pacific and Latin America is also expected, given the increasing power demand in urban centers and the challenges of integrating distributed energy.
Analysts following the smart grid sector believe the platform could help utilities fast-track digital transformation projects that might otherwise be delayed due to cost or system disruption concerns. Modular adoption allows utilities to prioritize the most urgent needs, such as outage response or renewable integration, without committing to full-suite deployment from the outset.
The partnership with Microsoft is also expected to act as a multiplier, creating a path for future AI model training, broader industry integrations, and edge-to-cloud intelligence. Schneider Electric has not provided public guidance on pricing models but is expected to offer both subscription-based licensing and performance-linked contracts to suit different types of utilities.
As governments and investors increase scrutiny on grid reliability, climate adaptation, and infrastructure resilience, platforms like One Digital Grid are likely to be evaluated not just on technical merit but also on their ability to deliver scalable, verifiable outcomes.
Key takeaways: Schneider Electric’s One Digital Grid platform and its impact on utilities
- Schneider Electric has launched the AI-powered One Digital Grid platform to help utilities modernize infrastructure without replacing legacy systems.
- The platform integrates planning, operations, and asset management using artificial intelligence and real-time grid data.
- Key features include Estimated Time of Restoration (ETR), Grid AI Assistant, and AI-based network model tuning for real-time troubleshooting and operational accuracy.
- Built on Microsoft Azure, the platform supports hybrid-cloud deployment and integrates cybersecurity tools such as Azure Arc and Defender for IoT.
- A Forrester Consulting study found a 184% return on investment and a 16-month payback period for utilities using Schneider Electric’s ADMS core system.
- Utilities reported up to 65% faster control room responses and 35% quicker fault resolution by field crews.
- The platform aims to address rising power demand, particularly in the United States, where electricity needs could rise by up to 2,000 TWh per decade.
- It is now available globally and targets utilities in both developed and emerging markets, with modular components enabling phased adoption.
- Analysts expect strong interest due to its non-disruptive integration model and potential to improve outage response, grid reliability, and customer transparency.
- Schneider Electric’s strategy aligns with growing investor and regulatory focus on grid resilience, climate adaptation, and smart infrastructure.
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