With the help of more than $2.5 million in federal funding, Saint John Energy is taking a leap forward in building the Utility of the Future and in its Zero30 ambitions to reach net zero by 2030.
The funding announced today (May 10) will allow Saint John Energy to implement transformative technologies to revolutionize the way it serves its customers and advances innovation in delivering energy.
"Taking action to protect our environment and strengthen the economy is a top priority for Canada," said Wayne Long, Member of Parliament for Saint John - Rothesay. "I'm so pleased that our government, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) is supporting this project with Saint John Energy to help evolve our energy system, attract world-class partnerships, and build on this region's leadership in innovation and emission reduction efforts."
The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA. The Agency is providing $2,568,750 toward the project, while Saint John Energy is investing $856,250.
Central to the transformation is an agreement reached between Saint John Energy and Kraken Technologies, a software firm with global reach.
With the multi-year agreement, Saint John Energy becomes the first distribution and retail utility in North America to license Kraken's end-to-end utility operating system, enabling it to create brand new green energy-focused services, deliver advanced customer care and proficiently manage its distribution network.
"We're grateful to ACOA for this strategic support, which is propelling forward our work on Zero30 and the Utility of the Future. With its partnership and belief in our innovative mission we are creating a cleaner energy future for Saint John," says Ryan Mitchell, President, and CEO of Saint John Energy.
"We're also proud and excited to partner with Kraken, which not only has a transformative platform, but an international reputation for best-in-class solutions tailored to the energy industry. Implementing its solutions will give our customers more information and control over their energy needs and will allow Saint John Energy to pursue more innovative solutions in clean energy and the transition to net zero."
Says Greg Jackson, Founder of Octopus Energy Group, Kraken's parent company: "Saint John Energy's track record as an innovative early adopter makes this partnership a natural fit for us as we look to drive the energy transition worldwide. As our first utility and distribution partner in North America, we are excited to support Saint John Energy in bringing more affordable, reliable solutions to its customers."
In addition to enabling the partnership with Kraken, the ACOA funding allows Saint John Energy to implement other enhancements to its utility operating system and to develop a "digital twin" of its grid infrastructure to foster greater innovation. More details about the digital twin project will be announced at a later date.
The projects are part of Saint John Energy's Zero30 initiative, a roadmap to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. And they build on its work to create the Utility of the Future in Saint John on a foundation of renewable energy, energy storage, smart grid and innovative products and services.
Saint John Energy, a trusted energy provider since 1922, delivers high-quality products and services to more than 36,000 homes and businesses in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. A top-rated utility renowned for innovation, reliability and top customer service, it is committed to being a national utility leader in the transition to net zero. It has embarked on Zero30 - a roadmap to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
For more information, visit www.sjenergy.com and www.zero30.ca.
Kraken Technologies offers a best-in-class end-to-end platform for energy supply and is operating in the UK, Japan, US, New Zealand, Australia, and most of mainland Europe. Kraken's proprietary platform is contracted to serve 54 million customer accounts across the globe through licensees. Its first client was Octopus Energy, where Kraken manages 7.7 million retail customers globally and over 60,000 business customers (the largest of which is Arsenal FC).
Based on advanced data and machine learning capabilities, Kraken automates much of the energy supply chain to allow outstanding service and efficiency as the world transitions to a decentralized, decarbonized energy system. Kraken manages more than 38 gigawatts in utility scale assets. These span a wide range of technologies, from off-shore wind to grid-scale batteries. Kraken is also a global leader in the rapidly growing field of domestic flexibility. The platform already handles 162,000 domestic devices, totaling over a gigawatt of power.
Kraken Technologies is part of Octopus Energy Group and was developed to enable select third parties to take advantage of the technologies developed by Octopus Energy. It has already been licensed by major global players, including Origin Energy, E.ON and EDF. https://kraken.tech/
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) creates opportunities for economic growth in Atlantic Canada by helping businesses become more competitive.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jessica DeLong, Saint John Energy
jessica.delong@sjenergy.com | 506.647.0365
Ann Kenney, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
ann.kenney@acoa-apeca.gc.ca | 506.260.2193
Kraken Technologies
kraken@berlinrosen.com
To learn more about how Kraken is advancing the global energy transition, visit kraken.tech.
