A recent study shows that a large majority (71 percent) of utilities now use cloud computing systems, up from 45 percent three years ago. This has been largely a reaction to the amount of data they deal with these days and the opportunity to be innovative with that data.
Where is the data coming from? Smart meters that send and receive data for centralized analysis, new net meters allowing customers to sell back power generated by solar and wind systems, and the need to manage demand using smart grid technology, including having connections to IoT devices in homes and businesses.
