From vision to reality: how is AI concretely reshaping the energy sector?
The Agence Française de Développement’s Digital Energy program, in partnership with Onepoint, is hosting an “AI x Energy” morning event on July 8 at Onepoint’s offices in Paris, to explore how AI can—and will—transform the energy sector.
Designed with a strong operational focus, the event will combine forward-looking perspectives with practical feedback: what is already changing, what challenges remain, and what it takes to move from proof of concept to fully scaled solutions. The goal is to provide clear benchmarks and actionable use-case ideas to help organizations engage with AI now.
Agenda for the morning:
9:00 AM – Welcome
9:15 AM – Opening remarks by Emmanuel Baudran
Deputy Executive Director for Sustainable Development Solutions, AFD
9:30 AM – Forward-looking keynote:
“The future of AI: what transformations should we realistically expect?”
by Gontran Peubez – Partner, Executive VP Data & AI, Onepoint
10:00 AM – Conference:
“AI for Energy: from promises to real-world applications already transforming energy systems”
by François Krempp (Energy Expert, Onepoint)
This session will go beyond the paradox of energy-intensive AI to explore concrete use cases where AI is already helping to optimize production, stabilize grids, reduce consumption, and improve energy purchasing strategies—across both France and Africa. It will cover the four key segments of the energy value chain, based on operational use cases.
10:30 AM – Panel discussion:
“From Europe to Africa: what new energy models in the age of AI?”
An unfiltered discussion on AI in the energy sector: which use cases truly work, where data acts as an accelerator or a bottleneck, how AI is reshaping production, buildings, and grids, and how to adapt approaches to the realities of African energy systems. The panel will also address emerging challenges related to energy costs and sovereignty.
Featuring, among others: Bruno Fiastre (Chief Commercial Officer, Deepki), Antoine Djigbenou (Executive Digital Transformation, Eranove), and AWS.
11:45 AM – Startup demos: 4 AI use cases
Presentation of proofs of concept in generative and agentic AI, led by four startups supported by AFD’s Digital Energy program, showcasing highly operational use cases: automated quality control of metering data (Fuel Switch), monitoring and maintenance of mini-grids (My Joule Box), customer support for distributed solar services (ICE Solar), natural-language exploration of power grid evolution scenarios (Roseau Technologies)
12:45 PM – Networking lunch & hackathon awards ceremony
Cocktail lunch to continue discussions, followed by the Digital Energy AI Hackathon awards ceremony, in the presence of the European Union.
Practical information:
- Date: Wednesday, July 8
- Time: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Location: Onepoint, 29 rue des Sablons, 75116 Paris
Reserve your place now for in-person participation
The event will be in French
