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In this episode of Plugged In, Abhinav Krishna talks to Joe Hayden, Executive Vice President for North America at GridBeyond, to explore the evolving opportunities and challenges of energy flexibility in today’s world. As the conversation dives into how commercial and industrial customers can unlock new revenue streams and support grid stability through demand response programs, Hayden shares why traditional approaches to demand response are being replaced by data-driven, AI-enhanced, and incremental strategies — especially in industries like data centers, cold storage, steel and manufacturing. From the challenges of backup power integration to opportunities in real-time flexibility, Hayden explains where we are in the transformation of the grid’s generation and management of costly peak events, and breaks down how GridBeyond helps customers future-proof their energy strategies.
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You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…
- The big picture of what demand-side management looks like today (03:02)
- What being a qualified scheduled entity looks like in practice (08:54)
- Learning how isolating “headroom” enhances value (16:00)
- How GridBeyond’s operational DNA helps them anticipate challenges (21:00)
- Discovering how changing grid conditions impact electricity costs (26:15)
- AI’s role in mitigating the risk of future volatility (27:59)
Qualified Scheduled Entities: Who, Why, and How
Hayden uses the example of rising water to illustrate the delicate balancing act between grid generators, consumers, and the grid itself, and breaks down how GridBeyond works to anticipate both demand and supply in the market. Whether it’s advance notices of peak power consumption, coordinating with partners for pooling capacity resources, or keeping a healthy reserve of power, there are several options they utilize to ensure that the lights stay on and costs stay down.
Building on Value With Individual Targeting
While other companies can identify trends and predict overall usage, Hayden explores why being able to look at client operations on a submeter level allows GridBeyond to accurately pinpoint where, when, and how they can effectively participate in the power market. He covers questions to be answered to optimize that participation: Can they automate certain processes to address manpower concerns? How fast can they be alerted to issues once they arise? Do the benefits of having onsite energy storage outweigh the prices? This granular approach allows clients to align specific operational phases with demand response programs, offering different notification windows and compensation rates.
AI’s Role in GridBeyond’s Workflows
Hayden explains that technology’s progress allows GridBeyond to combine AI and automation in helping customers stay flexible without disrupting their core operations. With a suite of tools such as predictive analytics to forecast grid volatility, customers can shift or curtail energy use strategically — generating revenue while enhancing grid reliability. These tools can also be used for carbon capture matching to impact sustainability.
Energy’s Weight on Industry Expenses and Profitability
By optimizing when and how power is consumed, Hayden makes the case that demand response is more than a grid service — it’s a financial strategy. Businesses can use energy markets as a precisely calibrated cost-minimization tool, gaining back revenue during periods of planned flexibility. With today’s aging infrastructure in portions of the North American power grid and rising costs of fuel intakes, significant increases in demand pressure are expected with a proportionate impact on the bottom line.
Why Businesses Should Cut Down on Risk Now
Hayden notes that AI within the energy industry already has a wide variety of applications that keep growing by the day. Whether it’s identifying volatility phases, predicting potential price peaks and valleys, or identifying when price points can potentially arise, it can benefit companies in carving out resources as either buyer or seller in the market.
Resources:
Connect with Joe Hayden
Joe Hayden is the VP of Revenue for North America for Dublin, Ireland-based GridBeyond. He has led businesses supporting the electric utility sector for over 20 years and in demand response over the last eight years, during what has been the fourth major electricity grid transformation.
GridBeyond is the world’s leading technology platform for helping companies manage distributed and flexible energy resources. The transition to a Net Zero economy is driving significant change in the energy sector, and GridBeyond has been leading this transition through three key facets: Predictive Analytics, DR Automation, and Batteries as a Service, all under one roof. The result is a significant requirement for scalable and real-time solutions to manage the carbon-friendly energy system of tomorrow through an automated AI-driven prediction and control-based grid solution.
Hayden has served in leadership positions in the utility space with Motorola and Ericsson over the last 20 years. He is and resides as a proud native Texan and is a graduate of Texas Tech University.
Connect with Abhinav Krishna
As Vice President of Commercialization and Development, Abhinav Krishna helps Constellation’s customers meet their environment, energy and operational goals. With deep experience coming from 15+ years spent at the forefront of the energy industry in leadership roles across Commercialization, Product Development, Structuring, Risk and many others, he continues to leverage his expertise in sustainability and energy markets to help companies meet their renewable energy and efficiency goals.
In addition, Krishna also has a key role providing strategic direction for Constellation’s new division, Constellation Navigator. Driven by advanced technology platforms and strategic advisors, Constellation Navigator helps businesses solve challenges across the energy lifecycle including data and analytics, carbon accounting, sustainability advisory, utility bill management and rebate administration.
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