FEATURE cost of curtailment is emerging as a barrier to clean energy adoption.
As utilities expand DERs to meet net zero targets, they risk underutilising assets or overbuilding infrastructure if they lack granular, real-time data. Data-driven grid planning uses real usage data, scenario modelling and capacity analytics to prioritise investments where they deliver the highest impact.
The result is more renewables staying online, better utilisation of network assets and stronger commercial returns alongside sustainability goals. Itron’ s Grid Edge Essentials provides enhanced visibility into grid performance, transforming raw data into predictive insights that help utilities make faster, evidence-based planning decisions.
In markets such as Thailand and Malaysia, this approach helps avoid stranded assets, maximise renewable uptime and align infrastructure spending with long-term decarbonisation objectives.
How can the CIO play a part in driving utility innovation and aligning IT and OT systems for climate resilience?
CIOs are increasingly central to driving utility innovation in an era of intensifying extreme weather events. By aligning IT and OT, they create unified data ecosystems where real-time operational data feeds predictive analytics, helping teams identify faults before outages occur or dynamically balance loads during heatwaves.
This convergence enables smarter use of renewables by translating field data into actionable insights, allowing utilities to plan proactively and recover faster. CIOs are also leading the shift to cloud-native architectures, creating agile, data-driven foundations where IT and OT converge and unlock the full value of operational intelligence.
Beyond technology, CIOs are shaping enterprise governance, cybersecurity and ESG transparency, ensuring innovation supports both performance and purpose in a rapidly changing energy landscape.
What can Singapore learn and apply from other APAC cities facing similar grid challenges?
As Singapore continues to lead the region in solar deployment and grid reliability, it faces growing complexity in integrating intermittent renewables into a dense urban grid. Rising midday solar oversupply and increasing demand for flexibility make regional lessons increasingly relevant.
APAC cities are experimenting with advanced grid strategies that offer practical insights into decentralisation, consumer empowerment and dynamic grid management. These include time-of-use tariffs in Tokyo and Seoul, residential battery incentives in Australia, peer-to-peer energy trading in Bangkok and Melbourne, vehicle-to-grid integration in Shenzhen and large-scale demand response aggregation in South Korea.
Community solar models in the Philippines and Indonesia and real-time grid transparency initiatives in Taiwan also demonstrate how consumer engagement and data visibility can accelerate decarbonisation. By adopting proven regional practices, Singapore has an opportunity to supercharge its smart grid evolution, turning data into action and renewables into reliable, responsive power. •
40
INTELLIGENT CIO APAC www. intelligentcio. com