How are utilities using AI to rewrite planning playbooks? September 4, 2026 Share to: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a pervasive topic across the energy industry, and for plenty of good reasons. Renewable Energy World has recently explored how to enable utility-grade AI and what it means to put the technology to work for solar, highlighting the value AI can unlock for modern utility workflows. However, adoption requires teams and entire departments to answer practical questions about their individual usage of AI. How will the technology create operational efficiencies? What does it mean to avoid deploying tech for tech's sake? How can AI reshape long-term grid planning? And how can teams automate certain processes while keeping humans in the loop? To answer those questions, utilities like Exelon are partnering with institutions like Argonne National Laboratory and solution providers like S&C Electric Company to deploy utility-grade AI in ways that are actively supporting established efforts- everything from weather prediction to resolving interconnection queues. They're the sorts of specifics that defined the Thursday keynote on August 27th at DTECH Reliability & Resiliency in Chicago. Tom Wall from Argonne National Laboratory, Joe Matamoros from S&C Electric Company, and Tim Krall from Exelon participated in a panel that outlined a roadmap for utilities of all sizes to operationalize AI. They detailed the practical processes and approaches that enable power providers to successfully leverage AI, showcasing how and why success with it is ultimately more about teams and people than it is technology and possibility. Innovation as an essential foundation for utility reliability. In his opening address, Matamoros, chief product development officer at S&C Electric, explored why resilience is becoming the cornerstone of next-generation grid planning and investment. He outlined why building a resilient grid is about much more than prepping for the next severe storm, as it requires designing flexible infrastructure that innovations like AI can further augment. These efforts are transforming how utilities measure reliability to meet the shifting demands of today's energy consumers. "Reliability is the outcome our customers expect," Matamoros said. "Resilience is the capability that allows the grid to deliver that outcome, even under difficult conditions. A resilient grid prepares for changing environments, adapts when things go awry, responds intelligently to disruptions, and recovers faster and safer." Achieving that level of resilience requires utilities to do more with less, and technology like AI can directly support such efficiencies. However, that success means being able to get specific with where and how the technology can make a difference, which can require a new way of thinking about established tasks or processes. For example, advancements in AI have changed predictive weather modeling from short-term 14-day outlooks to 90-day seasonal forecasts, reshaping flood modeling and capital expenditure strategies. But what does it mean for teams to both use and trust these capabilities? Modeling the future. One of the most important breakthroughs for utility-grade AI is machine-learning algorithms that can augment modeling efforts. These predictive tools can extend planning horizons while simultaneously processing tens of thousands of probabilistic scenarios. Instead of evaluating just a handful of forecasts over a standard two-week window, researchers and engineers can now analyze thousands of climate and grid permutations across an entire season in a fraction of the time. While power providers have historically been cautious about machine-learning forecasts, the speed and precision of these modern algorithms are reshaping industry perspectives. "I'm a non-practicing meteorologist by training, and I used to be skeptical about AI from a modeling perspective," said Krall, who is director of advanced analytics & AI at Exelon. "But I've seen how powerful these models can be, so I do think it's going to be vital for us, not just for near-term applications like outage prediction, but for broader grid reliability. It's why we're adopting a seasonal lens for condition-based maintenance and broader asset health, and it's very exciting to see where this technology is heading." Krall talked through what it has meant to prove the difference the technology can make with targeted use cases that can eventually scale. AI is being used for outage prediction efforts but can also optimize vegetation management by adjusting multi-year tree-trimming schedules based on 90-day rainfall and canopy growth predictions. Both of these applications have proven their value as part of smaller programs that can serve as a baseline for something much bigger. They're details that highlight how success with AI isn't about forcing a complete overhaul but rather a phased evolution tailored to each utility's unique environment. Integrate without overwhelming. To avoid overextending resources, many utilities adopt AI through a phased approach. Krall described this as a "crawl, walk, run" progression, in which an organization starts with simple advisory models before moving toward direct operational actions, while always maintaining human oversight. Eventually, teams and entire departments can feed automated model outputs into existing management systems or customer interfaces, fully embedding them in established processes and improving how teams operate. The panelists discussed how these stages sound straightforward in theory, but turning them into reality is often a multi-year journey. Additionally, what defines the reality of one integration phase for a given utility can differ significantly from the same phase at another organization. "Crawling for Exelon might feel like sprinting to a small co-op or muni," said Wall, which is something he knows from experience as the infrastructure security and resilience director at Argonne National Laboratory. "That's why it's vital to assess a utility's technical sophistication, resources, and overall maturity when evaluating these AI solutions." For large-scale utilities, effectively leveraging technology in one phase to unlock value in the next is critical, as these initiatives need to deliver concrete results to justify their continued operation. Exelon's strategy showcases what it means for technology to create bottom-line value while also enhancing safety and the customer experience. Ultimately, these distinctions highlight the details utility leaders at every level need to explore with their teams and across their organizations. Questions to drive practical AI adoption. Throughout their discussion, Krall, Matamoros, and Wall detailed how and why AI needs to augment human expertise, rather than replace it. The primary barrier to scaling AI across the energy sector is more about building trust with existing teams than about something an entirely new department would need to define. That focus on people defines what utilities need to ask to launch AI initiatives and maximize their long-term value. As executives evaluate vendors, internal roadmaps, and grid modernization strategies, three fundamental questions should guide these discussions: * If my team starts using an AI tool, how will that directly benefit their work or its customers in the short and long term? * Are Renewable Energy World using AI because it's the best tool for this specific problem, or could traditional models and approaches solve it more or as efficiently? * Does using AI in this way support what it means to actively upskill its workforce to make their jobs safer and easier? The answers define what practical AI adoption looks like for utilities of every size. By establishing this human-centered baseline, utility leaders can build out planning processes that enable the adoption of AI by individual teams and entire departments in ways that define scalable roadmaps for the wider energy industry.

Exelon names a new CFO. The $41 Billion plan doesn't change. Last updated Aug 29, 2026 Key Takeaways for Exelon Stock as of August 2026. * Finance Handoff: Exelon named Robert Kleczynski CFO effective Oct. 5, succeeding Jeanne Jones, who moves into an EVP finance and strategy role as part of a broader leadership reshuffle. * Street Split: Wall Street now carries 4 buys, 15 holds, and 2 sells on Exelon stock, with the mean target at $49 sitting 11% above the $44 close. * Model Gap: TIKR's mid-case model targets $65 by December 2030, implying 47% total return. * Guidance Held: Exelon reaffirmed 2026 adjusted operating EPS guidance of $2.81 to $2.91 and its $41B capital plan through 2029, even after trimming its data center demand pipeline 16% to 36GW. Why Exelon Stock's CFO Handoff Matters Amid a $41 Billion Buildout. Exelon (EXC) is absorbing a change at the top of its finance function just as the company enters the thick of a five-state regulatory season. On August 25, Exelon named Robert Kleczynski, previously senior vice president for corporate controller, tax and principal accounting officer, chief financial officer effective October 5. He succeeds Jeanne Jones, CFO since 2022, who moves into a new role as executive vice president of finance and strategy, with Kleczynski reporting to her. The reshuffle runs deeper than one title. ComEd CFO Josh Levin becomes Exelon senior vice president of finance on January 1, 2027, reporting to Kleczynski, and the announcement arrived alongside the previously disclosed 2027 departure of chief operating officer Mike Innocenzo, who currently doubles as interim CEO of PECO. The timing matters more than the org chart. The same week, Exelon reaffirmed its 2026 adjusted operating earnings guidance of $2.81 to $2.91 per share and its target of annualized growth near the top of a 5% to 7% range through 2029, the same framework Kleczynski now inherits. On the Q2 earnings call, Jones laid out exactly what that framework rests on: "We remain on track to deliver full year operating earnings of $2.81 to $2.91 per share...supported by 7.9% annualized rate base growth, disciplined cost management and a balanced financing plan that maintains strong investment-grade credit metrics." That is the machine Kleczynski is stepping into, not a strategy he has to invent. Jones stays inside the organization as his boss on the finance and strategy side, which narrows the transition risk a CFO change might otherwise carry into four active rate cases at once. The handoff itself doesn't change what Exelon stock is worth, but it does put a new signature under a $41 billion capital plan the market hasn't fully priced in. Exelon Stock's Data Center Pipeline Shrinks, But Turns Real. That same capital discipline shows up in how Exelon is handling data center demand. The company's large-load and data-center pipeline fell 16% in the second quarter, from 43 gigawatts to 36 gigawatts, after Exelon ran projects through Transmission Security Agreements that require customers to post collateral before major system investment gets committed. Of the 11 gigawatts removed, roughly 4 gigawatts already carry signed agreements backed by $1 billion of collateral, with another 7 gigawatts pre-dating the process but still advancing. Jones framed the smaller number as validation rather than weakness on the July 30 call: "What this update reflects is we have now weeded out speculative projects, and it gives us proactive insight into what is real." The $41 billion capital plan through 2029 stayed unchanged, because none of the removed gigawatts were ever built into it. Wall Street Turns Cautious on Exelon Stock After Its March Peak. Analysts covering Exelon stock currently carry 4 buys, 15 holds, and 2 sells, drawn from a pool of 21 published price targets. The mean target sits at $49, roughly 11% above Exelon stock's $44 close on August 27. That gap has actually widened since a year ago. On June 30, 2025, the $47 mean target sat just 9% above a $43 close. The sharper shift came between March and June of 2026: buy ratings fell from 7 to 4 as the mean target slipped from $51 to $49, while Exelon stock's price cooled from a 2026 high near $49 into the low $40s. Coverage held steady near 17 to 18 estimates the whole time, so this isn't analysts walking away. It's analysts turning more cautious on the rating while barely touching the number. That caution is the backdrop the leadership change lands into. A CFO swap rarely moves ratings on its own, but with 15 of 21 rated analysts already parked at hold, the Street wants proof of execution, not just reaffirmed guidance, before it re-rates Exelon stock higher. TIKR Values Exelon Stock at $65 on a Longer Runway to 2030. TIKR's mid-case model values Exelon stock at $65 by December 2030, implying 47% total return from the current price of $44, or 9.3% annualized over roughly 4.3 years. That path pushes Exelon stock's total return well past what the sell side is pricing over the next year, reflecting a longer runway of rate-base compounding rather than a single catalyst. The model's premise lines up with what the company just reaffirmed: annualized earnings growth near the top of a 5% to 7% range through 2029, a $41 billion capital plan the new CFO inherits intact, and a data center pipeline the company spent the past two quarters converting from speculative to collateralized. None of that shows up yet in a Street mean target stuck near $49, which is exactly the gap TIKR's longer-dated model is pricing. Should You Invest in Exelon Corporation? The only way to really know is to look at the numbers yourself. TIKR gives you free access to the same institutional-quality financial data that professional analysts use to answer exactly that question. Pull up Exelon Corporation stock and you'll see years of historical financials, what Wall Street analysts expect for revenue and earnings in the quarters ahead, how valuation multiples have moved over time, and whether price targets are trending up or down. You can build a free watchlist to track Exelon Corporation alongside every other stock on your radar. No credit card required. Just the data you need to decide for yourself. Looking for New Opportunities? * See what stocks billionaire investors are buying so you can follow the smart money. * Analyze stocks in as little as 5 minutes with TIKR's all-in-one, easy-to-use platform. * The more rocks you overturn... the more opportunities you'll uncover. Search 100K+ global stocks, global top investor holdings, and more with TIKR. Disclaimer: Please note that the articles on TIKR are not intended to serve as investment or financial advice from TIKR or its content team, nor are they recommendations to buy or sell any stocks. TIKR create its content based on TIKR Terminal's investment data and analysts' estimates. Its analysis might not include recent company news or important updates. TIKR has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading, and happy investing! Table of Contents * Key Takeaways for Exelon Stock as of August 2026 * Why Exelon Stock's CFO Handoff Matters Amid a $41 Billion Buildout * Exelon Stock's Data Center Pipeline Shrinks, But Turns Real * Wall Street Turns Cautious on Exelon Stock After Its March Peak * TIKR Values Exelon Stock at $65 on a Longer Runway to 2030 * Should You Invest in Exelon Corporation? * Looking for New Opportunities? * Disclaimer: General Investing Earnings Updates Join thousands of investors worldwide who use TIKR to supercharge their investment analysis.