ORLANDO, Fla. — A new artificial intelligence lab in Central Florida aims to make the power grid smarter, faster and more reliable, with potential benefits for residents who depend on electricity during and after severe weather.
Inside Siemens Energy’s Innovation Center in Orlando, rows of high-powered computing equipment resemble a compact data center. The system is designed to process massive amounts of information to help utilities prevent outages and restore power more quickly during storms.
The facility, known as the Grid AI Lab, focuses on turning real-time data into actionable decisions for power companies. Engineers say the goal is to anticipate problems before they happen and improve response times when outages occur.
“We get a little more reliability and trust that when we turn on the switch, it turns on no matter the conditions,” said Vanessa Santisteban of Siemens Energy.
The technology relies on sensors and cameras that can be deployed on power lines, even by drone, to monitor conditions across the grid. That information is fed into artificial intelligence systems that analyze the data and help crews prioritize repairs.
“Not just the reliability before the storm, but also after the storm. When things go out, we again leverage the cameras and sensors to take pictures and assess what’s happening. and then we can also respond much more quickly,” Santisteban said.
At the center of the effort is a system called NOEDRA, which developers say is designed to make substations more autonomous and responsive, almost like a human brain processing information.
“It acts like a mind, and the mind is very fast to make connections and respond, and we want to replicate that,” Santisteban said.
The lab will work with utilities including OUC and Duke Energy to test and refine the technology.
While the research is based in Orlando, company leaders say its impact could extend far beyond Central Florida, shaping how power grids operate worldwide.
Ultimately, the focus is on speed and reliability, using artificial intelligence to turn data into faster decisions when it matters most.
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