The Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE) held the webinar Digital Tools and Artificial Intelligence at the Service of Regional Energy Management, a technical dialogue space aimed at examining the growing role of digitalization and artificial intelligence in transforming the region’s power systems.
The event addressed issues related to ethics and governance of digital technologies, the development of more flexible power systems, the optimization of generation and transmission expansion in contexts of high renewable energy penetration, as well as the use of artificial intelligence to improve energy demand projections.
The webinar featured the participation of Marta Cabeza, Superintendent of the Electricity and Fuels Superintendency of Chile; Andrea Tutte, Smart Grids Project Manager at UTE – Uruguay; and Alessandra Amaral, Executive President of ADELAT, who shared experiences and advances in digitalization, automation, smart metering, and artificial intelligence applied to energy management.
Presentations highlighted that digitalization and artificial intelligence are driving a profound transformation in the region’s power systems, which are evolving toward more automated, bidirectional networks with greater responsiveness, enabling more efficient operation amid new energy flows and consumption patterns.
The role of smart metering was also underscored, as data available every fifteen minutes is replacing traditional processes, providing a more detailed view of consumption, reducing estimations, strengthening operational resilience, and improving continuity of electricity supply.
The intensive use of data and artificial intelligence tools is making it possible to accelerate tasks that previously took weeks, optimize inspections, support regulatory processes, and deliver more timely responses to users. These technologies also facilitate early fault detection, loss reduction, and real-time asset management.
During the opening of the webinar, Andrés Rebolledo, Executive Secretary of OLACDE, highlighted the importance of incorporating digitalization, artificial intelligence, and the growth of data centers into the analysis of the energy future of Latin America and the Caribbean, noting that these trends are rapidly transforming both projected electricity demand and the operation of energy systems, as well as the relationship with users.
He also emphasized the relevance of maintaining permanent spaces for technical dialogue, exchange of experiences, and regional analysis, stressing that understanding these global trends is essential to anticipate the challenges and opportunities that will shape energy development in the coming years.
The webinar concluded by highlighting that the transition toward modern power grids requires digital infrastructures capable of integrating electric mobility, energy storage, distributed energy resources, and new operational models, consolidating digitalization and artificial intelligence as strategic pillars for more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy management in the region.
