# Keynote Case Study: Accenture — Energy Was Becoming Interconnected, Distributed and Intelligent
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The energy industry was already beginning to move beyond the traditional model of centralized generation and one-way distribution. That was the context for my keynote at Accenture's Global Energy Summit. The focus was on the transformation of energy as technology, connectivity and new forms of generation began to reshape the system. Energy was becoming more interconnected. More distributed. More intelligent. The grid was becoming increasingly digital. Renewable generation was expanding. New forms of local energy were emerging. Data was becoming more important to operation and reliability. And customers were beginning to play a more active role in the energy system. Six themes framed the discussion: Grid Intelligence. More data and digital control were making energy infrastructure increasingly responsive. Distributed Energy. Generation was beginning to move closer to the customer through new local and renewable models. Renewable Acceleration. Solar and other renewable technologies were steadily changing the economics of generation. Connectivity. Energy assets were becoming part of a larger connected operating system. Changing Customer Roles. Customers were beginning to move from passive consumption toward more active participation. Business-Model Transformation. Energy companies would increasingly need to rethink the services and value they provide. The significance was not one technology. It was the architecture of the industry. A centralized, one-directional system was beginning to evolve toward something much more dynamic. That transition would create new operating challenges. But it would also create new opportunities for innovation. My message to the Accenture audience was that the energy industry was entering a period of structural reinvention. The future grid would be more connected, more distributed and more intelligent — and strategy needed to evolve with it.

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Source: https://jimcarroll.com/2012/04/keynote-case-study-accenture-energy-was-becoming-interconnected-distributed-and-intelligent/