#141: Supercharging Utilities with AI with Senpilot

About this episode

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Mike Hejmej, CEO and co-founder of Senpilot, to explore how AI agents can help modernize one of the world’s largest and most complex machines: the electric grid. Mike explains what AI agents actually are, how they differ from simple chatbots, and why utilities are starting to use them for everything from wildfire risk detection to regulatory research. The conversation covers how Senpilot trains AI agents, how retrieval-based models and verification layers dramatically reduce hallucinations, why utilities are both cautious and eager to adopt AI, and what the next few years might look like for grid operators who embrace (or ignore) these tools.

Key Points:

1. AI agents behave like digital coworkers – Instead of simple prompt-and-response tools, agents can clarify tasks, run multi-step workflows, and return with full research reports, spreadsheets, or recommendations.
2. Wildfire and regulatory use cases deliver immediate value – Utilities are already using AI agents to scan grid data for fire risks and to digest thousands of pages of regulatory filings, cutting months of manual work into minutes.
3. AI boosts capacity without replacing people – In an industry where teams are overloaded, and regulators limit hiring, agents take on the “busy work” so humans can focus on analysis, planning, and decision-making.

1. Mike Hejmej, CEO and co-founder of Senpilot, LinkedIn
2. Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, LinkedIn

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…

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Q3 End Credits

Greenlane, Ampion, Tigo, USBI, 247 Solar