Severe storms can cause statewide outages, making emergency preparedness a challenge that utilities can’t ignore. As these events become more common, utilities must improve their preparation and response methods to maintain reliability, effectively manage resources, and build a more resilient grid. To do this, many utilities are turning to data analytics to answer questions like:

Many utilities feel as though their journey with data science is still just beginning. The early days of a data-driven transformation require a lot of work and determination, but they’re also exciting as utilities prepare for the improved solutions that data science will bring them.

Among these utilities is DTE Energy. With 2023 now in the history books and a new year officially begun, I sat down with Yong Li, data science manager at DTE, to discuss data science at his company—past, present, and future.