Xcel Energy to Use AI-Enabled Customer Engagement Platform for Energy Insights and Demand Management

Xcel Energy is adopting Oracle’s Opower customer engagement platform as part of its efforts to provide customers with more insight into their energy use and support ongoing grid initiatives across its service territory. The company serves 3.9 million electric customers and 2.2 million natural gas customers in eight states.

The platform will allow customers to compare their energy use with similar households, receive tailored recommendations, and access information about programs that may help them manage costs. Xcel Energy officials say the approach is intended to support both customer affordability and broader grid needs as energy demand grows.

“As we build out our grid to meet the growing energy demand across the states we serve, we’re focused on continuing to make energy work better for our customers,” said Emmett Romine, vice president, Customer Energy and Transportation Solutions at Xcel Energy. “By providing customers with personalized insights about their energy use, we’re empowering them with options to reduce or shift their usage and potentially save money on their energy bills.”

Many utilities have expanded customer-facing energy tools in recent years as regulators, policymakers, and customers seek clearer information on energy consumption and opportunities for savings. Opower programs are currently used by more than 100 utilities and have saved an estimated 38 TWh of energy to date.

Oracle officials say customer engagement is becoming a more central component of utility operations.

“As utilities transform to meet growing expectations for clean, reliable, and affordable energy, customer engagement is essential,” said Matt O’Keefe, group vice president of Oracle Utilities. “Together with Xcel Energy, we’re delivering innovative, AI-driven solutions that empower customers with personalized insights while providing regulators and policymakers with the measurable outcomes they expect.”

The platform includes several components that Xcel Energy may integrate into its programs, including personalized Home Energy Reports, behavioral demand response messaging, and connected energy insights that link routine reporting with event-based alerts. A set of real-time analytic dashboards will also provide program managers with data on participation, segmentation, and potential grid impacts.

The company plans to use these capabilities as part of its broader strategy to maintain reliability, manage peak demand, and offer customers more options for controlling their energy use.