QuickChat | Nothing Artificial About the Impact of AI and Automation to Improve Facilities Energy Management

June 9, 2025

In this video, EnergyTech editor Rod Walton chats with Rick Kephart, vice president of technology at Emerson Power and Water Solutions, as he highlights the real-time benefits around how machine learning, AI and system integration is revolutionizing energy delivery and management.

Artificial intelligence may seem like an overused buzz word these days. It’s real value for energy, however, is pivotal as more and more of the nation’s commercial and industrial sectors and critical infrastructure planners embrace distributed energy and on-site power solutions such as microgrids and battery storage.

Rick Kephart, who is vice president of technology at Emerson Power and Water Solutions, highlights the real-time benefits around how machine learning, AI and system integration is revolutionizing energy delivery and management. He talks with EnergyTech Managing Editor Rod Walton on everything from the positive job impact of AI for the future to energy trading and purpose-built strategies for facilities utilizing battery storage and other distributed energy resources. This QuickChat contains Kephart’s deep experience energy insights which can help operations and maintenance, facilities managers, engineering and systems integration professionals, as well as C-Suite leaders as they strategize over ways to deploy new energy strategies for their sites.