Santee Cooper partners with Google Cloud for AI-driven load forecasting and financial planning

Type: Partnership · Technology: Data Center · Country: United States · Announced: 2026-09-04

South Carolina's state-owned electric and water utility Santee Cooper has partnered with Google Cloud to implement AI tools for modernizing load forecasting and financial planning. The utility will deploy Google's WeatherNext 2 weather modeling technology to enhance the accuracy of weather-dependent load forecasting, aiming to reduce the risk of over- or under-buying power. Additionally, Santee Cooper is deploying a financial-forecasting AI model built on Gemini Enterprise, which is expected to cut the time needed to build financial scenarios by up to 75 percent, potentially reducing forecasting time from weeks to days or hours. This initiative will support the planning for Santee Cooper's $10 billion grid expansion budget and aims to improve agility in managing the state's energy system and ensure long-term financial stability.

Analysis

South Carolina's state-owned utility Santee Cooper announced on September 4, 2026 a partnership with Google Cloud to deploy AI-driven load forecasting and financial planning tools, including Google’s WeatherNext 2 weather modeling and a Gemini Enterprise‑based financial‑forecasting model. Google Cloud, a division of Alphabet Inc., provides cloud computing, AI/ML platforms and infrastructure solutions to enterprises worldwide. Santee Cooper, the public power and water utility serving about 2 million customers in South Carolina since 1934, will use the AI tools to support its $10 billion grid expansion budget. The partnership was announced in September 2026 and does not disclose a financial value or contract length. The AI models are expected to reduce financial scenario build time by up to 75 percent, potentially cutting forecasting from weeks to days or hours.

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