Utilities Digital Services: Reinventing Utilities for a Connected, Renewable World

The utilities industry is accelerating its shift toward smarter, more connected operations as it adapts to rising demand for renewable integration and distributed energy. Providers are upgrading grid systems to handle two-way energy flows, improve local distribution, and enhance flexibility through advanced data insights. AI-powered tools are strengthening forecasting, optimizing maintenance, and enabling automated responses to outages and infrastructure issues. While balancing cost, reliability, and regulatory expectations remains a challenge, these innovations are paving the way for greater efficiency, stronger customer engagement, and a more resilient, sustainable energy network.

Both demand- and supply-side trends are covered in Avasant’s Utilities Digital Services 2025 Market Insights™ and Utilities Digital Services 2025 RadarView™, respectively. These reports present a comprehensive study of digital service providers in the utilities industry, including top trends, analysis, and recommendations. The reports also closely examine the leaders, innovators, disruptors, and challengers in this market.

Avasant evaluated 27 providers using three dimensions: practice maturity, investments and innovation, and partner ecosystem. Of the 27 providers, we recognized 21 that brought the most value to the market during the past 12 months.

The report recognizes service providers in four categories:

• • Leaders: Accenture, Cognizant, HCLTech, Infosys, TCS, and Wipro
  • Innovators: Capgemini, DXC Technology, Hitachi Digital Services, IBM, LTIMindtree, and Tech Mahindra
  • Disruptors: CGI, Firstsource, Genpact, and SAP
  • Challengers: Atos, Birlasoft, Fujitsu, Kyndryl, and WNS

Figure 1 below from the full report illustrates these categories:

“Advanced grid management and AI-driven solutions boost efficiency, forecasting, and climate modelling, enhancing adaptability, reliability, and sustainability,” said Robert Joslin, Avasant partner. “They accelerate the shift to resilient energy systems while meeting evolving demands, climate risks, and efficiency goals.”

The full report provides a number of findings, including the following:

1. 1. As electric vehicles, rooftop solar panels, and other distributed energy sources become more common, utilities are upgrading their grids to handle two-way electricity flows, improve local distribution, and boost flexibility through the use of real-time insights and predictive tools.
   2. Utilities are improving their ability to forecast demand and operate efficiently by adopting advanced analytical models and embedding them into energy platforms, enabling smarter load forecasting, pricing decisions, and maintenance scheduling.
   3. To address growing infrastructure challenges and the impact of extreme weather, utilities are turning to AI-powered systems linked with control centers and sensor networks to automatically assess damage, reconfigure the grid, and monitor sites.
   4. In pursuit of more decentralized energy systems and environmental objectives, utilities are introducing blockchain-based platforms that make energy trading, net metering, and carbon credit tracking secure and transparent while encouraging customers to play an active role in the energy market.
   5. Utilities are replacing outdated billing systems with adaptable, cloud-enabled platforms that speed up payment cycles, allow for flexible pricing, and streamline customer billing and management processes.

“The utilities sector is at a pivotal moment, shaped by decentralized energy, shifting customer needs, and climate pressures,” said Sahaj Kumar, associate research director with Avasant. “Adopting next-generation technologies can boost infrastructure, enhance agility, and unlock pathways to a more resilient, sustainable energy future.”

The Utilities Digital Services 2025 RadarView™ also features detailed profiles of 21 service providers, along with their solutions, offerings, and experience in assisting utility companies in digital transformation.

This Research Byte is a brief overview of Avasant’s Utilities Digital Services 2025 Market Insights™ and Utilities Digital Services 2025 RadarView™. (Click for pricing.)