NAES, an American independent power operator with 65 GW under management, and Gecko, a company developing AI-driven platforms using robotics, have partnered to announce an initial multi-year agreement worth about $100 million with an option for the deal to rise beyond $250 million for modernizing power plants to meet the potential energy crisis in America.
The agreement will enable NAES and Gecko to combin robotics and AI-driven platforms in both thermal and renewable energy.
Driven by several factors including AI and data centers, transportation, electrification and the re-industrialization of America, an increased national demand of around 16% is projected in the next four years on the U.S. grid. Data center power demand alone will grow 160% by 2030, according to some predictions.
With NAES powered by Gecko, power production facilities may be able to improve their use of advanced technology like AI-driven platforms with the advantage of "being built on the back of robots" collecting data and taking actions in the real world. The two companies will also seek to attract the talent, investment and governmental support necessary to transform the sector and future-proof.
Gecko’s robots, drones, robot dogs, and fixed-sensors collect data on critical infrastructure, which is fed into Gecko’s AI-powered software platform, Cantilever, to view and identify asset health issues, as well as accurately predict optimizations of plant asset performance. This not only can reduce unexpected downtime and reactive maintenance through prediction models, but also can allow facilities to learn from similar Cantilever-run facilities about how to yield the most optimum performance without causing catastrophic failures.
Additionally, more actions will be taken by robots in the field to increase NAES’ reputation and record on safety. With AI and robotics, NAES and Gecko plan to make the power industry a more attractive destination for top talent. Additionally, knowledge on the role of the traditional assets will also be conserved.
Data from Gecko Robotics revealed that its AI-driven platform and robotic technology helps reduce reactive maintenance by 80% and double the lifespan of an asset, improving the reliability of infrastructure. Additionally, Gecko’s ability to optimize asset performance with the infrastructure data is supreme.
The partnership will support the reliability of infrastructure managed by NAES as demands for power production and the professionals operating them are expected to grow over the next decade.
