Author(s)

LAZAR D. GITELMAN, MIKHAIL V. KOZHEVNIKOV

Abstract

The paper defines the key areas of application and economic effects of platform tools in the electric power industry. This is a new approach that boosts the development of knowledge-intensive services on the basis of integration of utilities, consumers, developers and digital solutions providers into a single eco-system, which enables the accumulation and update of knowledge on the systems and processes being serviced. Using theoretical analysis and their specific hands-on experience, the authors prove that the application of platform tools delivers an economic effect through a greater volume and speed of energy transactions, the adoption of innovations by energy companies in their commercial and production operations, faster transfer of new knowledge between platform stakeholders, and creation of knowledge-intensive services for pro-active consumers on the basis of new knowledge. The scientific novelty of the study is that it gives a systemic overview of theoretical and methodological conceptions of platforms tailored for the electric power industry, which is a complex infrastructure industry, from the perspective of the economic expediency of their implementation. The findings could be of interest to various parties involved in energy and economic relations when implementing projects focusing on modernization, energy transition, energy conservation, improvement of consumer interactions with the employment of the latest communication interfaces.

Keywords

electric power industry, technology platform, knowledge-intensive service, business model, demand side management, transaction