Burn the Spreadsheets: Leveraging Digital Infrastructure to Unlock The Clean Energy Transition

ClearTrace and host Zpryme’s Jason Rodriguez explored how utilities must replace spreadsheet-driven processes with shared digital infrastructure to scale the clean energy transition. Patrick Davis described ClearTrace’s evolution from a blockchain pairing of granular energy and carbon data to practical products such as 24/7 CFE tracking (used by Google and large data centers). The conversation framed the core problem as operational: disparate spreadsheet workflows across clean‑energy teams, trading desks and customer teams create auditability gaps, poor customer experiences, and hard-to-feed data for AI models.

They traced catalysts for change to three forces: sophisticated corporate buyers demanding clean, cheap power; slow-moving but binding regulatory moves (for example, the North Carolina Utility Commission’s hourly tracking requirement that pushed Duke Energy to adopt software); and private‑sector procurement momentum (noted via SEBA). Davis urged utilities to start by listening to customers, mapping data flows, engaging IT, and breaking down internal silos so higher‑quality, higher‑frequency data can support automation and AI. He closed by encouraging new entrants to join utilities and clean tech, arguing the sector offers broad opportunities across technical and non‑technical roles as electrification accelerates.