IBM and United Nations Collaborate to Release Advanced AI Energy Forecasting Tools Available for Free Use

IBM and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have unveiled two cutting-edge AI-driven models for predicting energy access and equity worldwide. The first model, the Electricity Access Forecasting model, utilizes AI to forecast electricity access trends up to 2030 by analyzing factors like population growth, urbanization, infrastructure, and satellite data across 102 countries including areas in the Global South and Latin America. The second model, the Clean Energy Equity Index, stands out as the first of its kind and employs an AI-powered statistical geospatial model to assess the feasibility and urgency of clean energy development by generating a score based on environmental, social, and economic factors for 53 African nations.

Developed by IBM, UNDP, and Stony Brook University, users can tailor these models to simulate different scenarios and pinpoint the most influential variables. Leveraging technologies such as IBM Watson, IBM Cloud, and IBM Environmental Intelligence, the initiative evolved through the IBM Sustainability Accelerator program over a two-year period. Interested parties can access these models for free via UNDP’s GeoHub dashboards, a centralized platform offering geospatial data and services for uploading, visualizing, and analyzing datasets, merging time-oriented and geographic data with satellite imagery.

These groundbreaking models empower a wide audience, ranging from policymakers to the general public, to engage with sophisticated energy-related issues through advanced AI solutions that support data-driven decision-making for an equitable energy transition. In an unusual move, IBM and UNDP have made these advanced models openly available to the public, reinforcing their commitment to providing free access to crucial clean energy information and state-of-the-art technology.

Justina Nixon-Saintil, IBM’s vice president and chief impact officer, emphasized the transformative potential of technology to effect positive change in the environment and communities. Laurel Patterson, Head of the UNDP SDG Integration Team, echoes this sentiment by highlighting the role of data and technological innovation in enhancing lives and safeguarding the planet. These innovative solutions offer a solid evidence base for countries to progress meaningfully towards a fair energy transition, emphasizing the importance of sustainable investments and people-centered development strategies to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNDP operates in approximately 170 countries and territories, striving to eradicate poverty, address inequalities, build resilience, and foster sustainable progress worldwide.