On February 19, 2025, Enel X Japan had the honour of participating in a stakeholder dialogue panel event organized by the World Economic Forum in Tokyo. Enel X Japan Country Manager, Hiromitsu Miyamoto, shared valuable insights alongside key leaders from government, industry, and academia, focusing on the critical intersection of energy and digital technology in Japan.
During the opening plenary session, “Energy and Technology Outlook,” Mr. Miyamoto addressed the unique challenges Japan faces in delivering both its energy and digital transformation. He highlighted that Japan's reliance on imported energy makes it vulnerable to global market fluctuations. Coupled with increasing demand from new digital infrastructure, such as data centers, and extreme weather events, our electricity grid is under pressure, struggling with regional coordination—especially during emergencies.
Mr. Miyamoto emphasized the importance of digital transformation, stating, “Upgrading our energy systems with IoT and AI is essential to improving efficiency and building a more resilient, flexible grid.” He introduced how Enel X is pioneering solutions in this space, particularly through its Demand Response (DR) programs, which stabilize the grid by adjusting demand-side resources rather than focusing solely on supply-side solutions.
“Rather than increasing generation to meet peak demand, our commercial and industrial customers reduce or shift energy consumption to help balance the electricity system. This is done via our market-leading Virtual Power Plant (VPP), which aggregates various distributed energy resources—such as energy-intensive equipment, generators, and batteries—to support the grid during supply-demand imbalances or emergencies,” he explained.
Mr. Miyamoto also discussed how Japan is leveraging breakthrough technologies to address the energy trilemma of security, equity, and sustainability. By employing real-time IoT monitoring, Enel X collaborates with businesses to adjust energy usage instead of ramping up traditional power plants during peak times. This localized decision-making alleviates grid pressure and advances the integration of renewable energy sources.
Notably, he pointed out that Enel X’s VPPs are quicker, cheaper, and more sustainable than traditional gas peaking plants. “By maximizing the use of existing community resources, we’re supporting a circular economy,” he said.
With Enel X operating around 1 GW in Japan's capacity market for 2024, Mr. Miyamoto cited Enel X’s success during last September’s heatwave, where we achieved a remarkable 7 GW of demand reduction over just two weeks—demonstrating the significant impact of our Demand Response solutions on grid stability.
In conclusion, he noted, “Japan’s energy landscape is evolving rapidly. With the integration of Virtual Power Plants and Demand Response using IoT and AI, we’re building a more flexible and resilient grid. At Enel X, we’re proud to be at the forefront of this change—turning energy challenges into opportunities and building a future where every building, battery, and business contributes to a smarter, more sustainable grid.”
As we move forward, Enel X remains committed to leveraging our expertise and innovative solutions to support Japan’s energy transition and digital transformation, paving the way for a more sustainable and digitally empowered future.
Enel X's three case studies were chosen.
Read how our partnership works and benefit of VPP.
The obligation to report the number of DR implementations annually has been added
