ENEL LAUNCHES GRIDSPERTISE IN US MARKET TO SUPPORT BUILD-OUT OF MORE FLEXIBLE, RESILIENT AND CLEAN POWER GRIDS

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May 16, 2022, 15:16 ET

First launched in Europe and Latin America, Enel expands Gridspertise – its company dedicated to accelerating the digital transformation of power grids – to the United States (US) to accelerate the transition to a fully decarbonized and electrified power sector.
Enel's Net Zero Grid Day event today in Rome unveiled the US growth strategy for Gridspertise which will provide electricity Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and utilities in the US access to cutting-edge sustainable solutions for the transformation of electricity distribution networks.
Enel will leverage its global expertise as the world's largest privately owned operator of digitally managed power distribution grids, to provide solutions focused on metering and grid edge digitalization, networks infrastructure digitalization, and field operations digitalization.

BOSTON, May 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Enel today launched into the United States (US) market Gridspertise, a new subsidiary fully dedicated to supporting power grid operators and utilities in the digital transformation of electricity networks into smart grids to facilitate the transition towards a fully decarbonized and electrified power system. Driving this expansion of Enel's global Gridspertise business is the need to provide digital solutions to address the increasing variability in energy supply and demand, especially as supply transitions from a centralized to decentralized system and as more end-users electrify their consumption.

Gridspertise's expansion into the US market, announced today at Enel's Net Zero Grid Day event in Rome, will help DSOs and utilities respond to the increasing demands and complexities being placed on the regions' power grids. The digitalization of legacy networks to increase resiliency and reliability of supply, or the deployment of field operations digital solutions are among the solutions that Gridspertise is already offering to European and Latin American utilities and that the company is now bringing to the US. Enel will showcase its ecosystem of Gridspertise solutions for the first time in the US at DistribuTECH International 2022, focusing on three areas of applicability: Prediction & Prevention, Grid Automation & Resilience as well as Fast Response & Restoration.

"With today's launch of Gridspertise in the US, we are introducing a new tech company working with an open collaboration approach with utilities and technological partners to support grid modernization plans as a crucial step in combatting the climate crisis and building a net-zero, fully electrified future," said Robert Denda, CEO of Gridspertise. "There is no better time than the present for the US launch of Gridspertise and its solutions, as the country grapples with the energy transition and the goal of a carbon-free electric sector."

Gridspertise plans to partner with DSOs and utilities throughout the US to support grid modernization and digitalization plans through metering and grid edge, network infrastructure, and field operations digital solutions.

Metering and grid edge digitalization, focused on increasing customer engagement and stakeholder participation through smart metering and grid edge technologies that also enable the electricity prosumers' involvement in the markets;
Network infrastructure digitalization, aimed at boosting intelligence and flexibility of power grids to enable the decentralized and fully digitalized management of energy systems through solutions such as the QEd - Quantum Edge® device, increasing efficiency, reliability and quality of service and supporting DSOs as they transition to meet the complex needs of a fully electrified future;
Field operations digitalization, aimed at increasing operational efficiency through innovative solutions for planning and operation processes, while enhancing safety for both in-house and contractors' field workers.

"A modernized grid needs to be digitalized to effectively handle the more frequent extreme weather events in the US brought on by climate change, in addition to the growth of renewables, distributed energy resources and the electrification of energy uses," said Enrico Viale, Enel's Head of North America. "Enel North America is proud to have brought Enel X, Enel Green Power and now Gridspertise to the US market to assist grid operators and utilities in their commitment to a sustainable, resilient and reliable electric grid."

Gridspertise aims to involve US utilities in collaborative testing programs of their innovative QEd device for digital substations in a push to deploy solutions that can enhance legacy infrastructure with smart grid functionalities allowing for example a faster integration of electric mobility and decentralized renewables without costly rebuilds and increasing at the same time the grid resilience. The solutions and services delivered by Gridspertise provide benefits for the entire electric ecosystem. For DSOs, they can increase service quality, reduce operating costs, optimize investments in new infrastructure and enhance safety, productivity and sustainability of field operations. Grid users can benefit from a platform to integrate distributed energy resources and facilitate the development of the energy service market, including flexibility and electrification of end uses. For end customers, Gridspertise solutions and services increase the reliability of the electricity supply, facilitate electrification, foster energy efficiency, and make it easier for end customers to become prosumers by taking part in energy markets.

For more information on Gridspertise, please visit www.gridspertise.com.

Enel, which celebrates its 60^th anniversary this year, is a multinational power company and a leading integrated player in the global power and renewables markets. At the global level, it is the largest renewable private player, the foremost network operator by number of end users and the biggest retail operator by customer base. The Group is the worldwide demand response leader and the largest European utility by ordinary EBITDA ^[1]. Enel is present in 30 countries worldwide, producing energy with over 90 GW of total capacity. Enel distributes electricity through a network of over 2.2 million kilometers to more than 75 million end users. The Group brings energy to around 70 million homes and businesses. Enel's renewables arm Enel Green Power has a total capacity of more than 54 GW and a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power, as well as energy storage facilities, installed in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Enel X Global Retail, Enel's global advanced energy services business line, has a total capacity of around 6.6 GW of demand response managed globally and has installed 59 MW of behind-the-meter storage capacity. In addition, Enel X Way is the Group's new global business line fully dedicated to electric mobility, managing around 350,000 public and private EV charging ports worldwide, both directly and through interoperability agreements.

^[1] Enel's leadership in the different categories is defined by comparison with competitors' FY 2020 data. Publicly owned operators are not included.

Enel North America, part of the Enel Group, is a clean energy leader in North America and is working to electrify the economy and build a low-carbon future by decarbonizing energy supply, creating resilient grids, and promoting a just, equitable transition. Enel North America's portfolio includes 7.8 GW of renewable capacity, 110,000 EV charging stations, 4.7 GW of demand response capacity and 11 utility-scale battery energy storage systems totaling 1,139 MWh of capacity under construction or in operation. The company proudly serves over 4,500 customers, which include businesses, utilities and cities. Enel operates in the US and Canada through five businesses: Enel Green Power, Enel X, Enel Energy and Commodity Management, Enel X Way and Gridspertise. Learn more about Enel North America by visiting www.enelnorthamerica.com.

www.enel.com | www.enelx.com | www.enelgreenpower.com | www.evcharging.enelx.com | www.gridspertise.com

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