The grid is being asked to do the impossible: power AI and data centers, electrify homes and industry, integrate carbon-free energy, and still stay affordable and reliable. In this episode of Just Power, Carolyn Parrs sits down with Hanna Grene—Microsoft’s Global Go-to-Market & Operations Leader for Energy and a recognized thought leader on the digital grid transition—to cut through the hype and get specific about where AI is already changing day-to-day energy operations.

⭐ Highlights

• Five places AI is already delivering value in the energy industry: workforce productivity, health & safety, customer experience, business process modernization, and asset/grid optimization.
• Grid optimization is the new energy efficiency: using better visibility and analytics to operate a complex, real-time, multi-stakeholder system more effectively.
• Permitting as the “valley of delay”: how AI can streamline permitting workflows to reduce time and cost—helping get more (and cleaner) electrons onto the grid faster.
• Climate-informed planning gets real: moving beyond historical weather assumptions toward predictive modeling that accounts for future wildfire, flood, and heat risks over 20–30 year asset lifecycles.
• Cybersecurity and governance are non-negotiable: why zero trust, the right data access, and hybrid architectures matter as more data moves to the cloud for advanced AI use cases.

Referenced in this podcast

• SCE and ThinkLabs AI: ThinkLabs AI achieves results in AI-powered grid analytics | AP News
• MISO's cloud leadership: MISO to Drive Grid Innovation with Microsoft Azure & Microsoft Foundry
• Microsoft's Permitting AI Accelerator
• Microsoft's 5-point Plan to partner with local communities across the United States

About my guest, Hanna Grene
Hanna is Microsoft’s Global Go-to-Market & Operations Leader for Energy.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannagrene/

About Just Power host, Carolyn Parrs
Carolyn is a Senior Strategic Communications Leader and the CEO of Mind Over Markets.
Website: https://mindovermarkets.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynparrs/

About Just Power Podcast
Just Power is a clean energy transition podcast focused on grid modernization, affordability, community engagement, and energy justice — featuring leaders from utilities, policy, technology, and frontline communities.

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