IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2020 - 45

This can reduce the need for reserve
power and reduce the loss of excess
renewable power, which would otherwise be lost.
In the U.K., this opportunity is
being approached with an open
data mindset. A former DeepMind
employee has spun up OpenClimate Fix, a non-profit research lab
creating open datasets for machine
learning researchers and startups
to benefit from solar "nowcasting."
These algorithms will forecast electricity production from solar power
up to a few hours ahead, and the
open nature of the data will enable
others to develop new technologies
far more easily [44].
Low carbon innovation is also
at the heart of the government's
ap--proach to net zero, with over
£3 billion (U.S.$3.6 billion) of
government investment from 2015
to 2021 [45], [46]. The economic
benefits associated with AI in energy are significant - the ability to
optimize current grid efficiency
and avoid constraints can save billions of pounds on building new
grid capacity. This is reinforced by
the U.K. Energy Innovation Needs
Assessment, which supports evidence and analysis on the role of
different technologies in the U.K.'s
future energy system. Using AI to
optimize the electricity system, and
in the design of nuclear and offshore wind development, carries
an innovation value of £8.7 billion
(U.S.$ 10.5 billion) up to 2050, and
an export potential of £3.5 billion
(U.S.$4.2 billion) by 2050, topping
the list of priority innovations they
identified [47].

AI opportunities. But the potential
hope that, by the next NeurIPS Confor an economic revolution is there.
ference in November, the volume of
If we can square up to this chalenergy and climate workshops are
lenge, the low carbon economy in
significantly increased and will still
the U.K. could grow four times
be very much oversubscribed.
faster than the rest of the econoWhere the U.K. Government and
my until 2030, and could delivU.K. Ecosystem Can Lead
er between £60 billion (U.S.$73
For all the historic gains that have
billion and £170 billion (U.S.$205
brought the U.K. to its present
billion) in exports by 2030 [48].
The demand for data -s cience
place in the AI and decarbonizaskills in the energy sector has al--
tion races, the renewed challenge
ways been present, but with the
of net zero has focused minds and
push towards net zero the ability to
invigorated others to join. Action is
harness AI to maximize the relirequired from the entire economy,
ability, responsiveness, and accufrom technological innovation to
racy of the U.K.'s energy system will
business leadership and internaneed to attract experts in machine
tional fora.
learning. Digital skills and
data analytics will eventually become core skills for
the net zero energy workforce, with big data used for
The economic benefits associated
network planning, maintenance, and risk mitigation.
with AI in energy are significant -
National Grid has suggested
that more than half of the
the ability to optimize current grid
117  000 jobs required this
efficiency and avoid constraints
decade (65  000) by the
energy industry to reach its
can save billions on building new
net zero goals will be data
analysts and renewables
grid capacity.
specialists [49].
While machine learning
Technologically, the U.K.'s Met
offers powerful solutions, there is
Office has recently announced £1.2
still a need for a coordinated effort to
billion to develop a supercomputer
identify how these tools - particularly
for improved severe weather and
next-gen tools - may best be applied
climate forecasting [50]. On innoto tackle climate change. Many AI
vation, the government announced
practitioners wish to act; clean energy
a £1 billion Ayrton Fund, using the
and climate related workshops were
best of British science to tackle clioversubscribed at the 2019 NeurIPS
mate change in developing counConference, the largest AI research
tries [51]. In energy, the regulator
conference of the year.
Ofgem has announced a nine-point
If we are to make meaningful
plan to challenge the energy indusprogress in this space in this Year
try to rise to the challenge alongof Climate Action, researchers must
side government to decarbonize the
continue to apply their enthusiasm
energy system [52], and government
for this topic through presentais working with industry to build
tions and papers in a concerted
a platform that helps innovators
way throughout the year, and must
find pre-existing open energy data
be empowered to do so. I sincerely

Opportunities of Applying
AI to Net Zero
The energy sector, like any other, is
faced with technical, regulatory,
financial, commercial, and political
barriers to overcome before being
able to harness the full spectrum of
JUNE 2020

∕

IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE

45
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2020
