How Matterport and Autodesk Are Supporting Grid Planning and Data Center Resilience with AI and Digital Twins

As countries modernize their energy infrastructure, digital technologies are playing a critical role in grid planning, operational efficiency, and system resilience. The International Energy Agency’s 2024 “Energy and AI” report outlines how artificial intelligence and spatial data tools can increase transparency, accelerate planning, and strengthen energy system stability. Matterport and Autodesk, two leaders in spatial data and design collaboration, offer a shared digital twin foundation that supports these goals in practical, real-world use cases.

This blog explores how their combined technologies can address emerging challenges in energy and data infrastructure, using specific findings from the IEA report to guide the analysis.

AI and Digital Twins: A New Foundation for Grid Infrastructure

The IEA notes that “digital twins can improve visibility, asset tracking, and predictive maintenance across energy systems.” For national grids, where spatial accuracy and system reliability are essential, the ability to monitor physical assets and environmental context in real time is a competitive advantage.

Matterport creates dimensionally accurate, photorealistic 3D models of buildings and infrastructure. These models serve as digital twins that include metadata, spatial context, and time-stamped visual records of physical spaces. Autodesk provides robust design, simulation, and operations software such as Revit, InfraWorks, and AutoCAD, which allow professionals to design and manage systems that must interoperate with physical environments.

Together, these platforms enable energy stakeholders to:

• Visualize substations, control centers, and distribution assets remotely

• Integrate up-to-date photorealistic site data into design and retrofit workflows

• Simulate environmental stress, thermal load, and outage response scenarios

• Track changes across time for historical performance and auditability

The IEA emphasizes that “AI-driven monitoring in grid assets improves fault detection, reduces downtime, and enhances reliability.” With a Matterport digital twin integrated into Autodesk’s design and operations tools, operators and engineers can proactively identify maintenance issues or predict equipment stress based on visual, spatial, and sensor-linked data.

Addressing Bottlenecks in Grid Planning and Permitting

The IEA highlights that one of the most significant barriers to renewable energy deployment is the long time required for grid connection approval. In many regions, planning, permitting, and stakeholder coordination delays exceed technical deployment timelines.

The report states: “AI can speed up the assessment of interconnection requests and grid readiness. Geospatial analytics and historical infrastructure data can inform faster siting decisions.”

This is where Matterport and Autodesk provide practical value:

• Digital site documentation with Matterport reduces the need for multiple on-site visits during early-stage grid siting evaluations.

• BIM-integrated models in Autodesk can overlay planned electrical infrastructure onto high-fidelity models to support faster interconnection feasibility studies.

• Geospatial context using Matterport and Autodesk InfraWorks helps energy planners understand terrain, environmental risks, and surrounding land uses, which can support environmental permitting.

In the IEA’s case examples, countries that adopted geospatial AI tools for site assessment reported “up to 40% faster planning cycle times.” When paired with real-world spatial data from Matterport, this type of planning can be conducted with greater trust, reducing rework and community resistance.

Data Center Resilience: A Growing Priority

As data centers become critical energy consumers and service hubs, their resilience is a key concern for both private operators and public regulators. The IEA warns that “data centers may become both critical load nodes and coordination assets,” requiring reliable power, climate control, and emergency planning.

Matterport and Autodesk support data center operators by offering a common operational picture:

• Matterport can be used to scan data center interiors including server aisles, UPS systems, HVAC units, and switchgear rooms.

• These scans provide a visual reference for inspections, risk assessments, and emergency response planning.

• Autodesk Revit models or AutoCAD layouts can be aligned with Matterport scans to ensure design intent matches the built environment.

Teams can test heat flow, ventilation, and equipment loads using BIM tools layered over real-world digital twins.

In the event of an emergency, Matterport’s 3D walkthroughs can assist first responders by helping them visualize room layouts, access paths, and equipment locations. The IEA suggests that “resilience audits should include digital access to floorplans, failure scenarios, and real-time data where possible.” Matterport provides visual access; Autodesk integrates performance analysis.

Supporting Cyber-Physical System Integrity

With the rise of smart grids and AI-enabled infrastructure, the IEA stresses that “cybersecurity risks increase with AI adoption in grid operations.” Digital twins play a role not only in system planning but also in validating the integrity of cyber-physical assets.

When paired, Matterport and Autodesk help utilities and IT/OT teams maintain a verifiable chain of physical asset documentation:

• Operators can compare original build specifications with current conditions.

• Anomalies such as unauthorized modifications or missing components can be flagged using AI-driven image recognition.

• Scheduled scans provide a time-stamped audit trail of physical environments tied to each maintenance event or system upgrade.

This supports grid operators seeking to meet regulatory requirements for critical infrastructure resilience, such as those defined under the NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards in North America.

Streamlining Workforce Training and Site Access

The IEA identifies workforce knowledge transfer as a weak point in many energy systems. Staff turnover, remote operations, and a lack of site familiarity all increase risks to both safety and performance.

Matterport and Autodesk help bridge this knowledge gap:

• Digital twins allow new staff to virtually explore substations or control rooms before ever stepping on site.

• Autodesk tools help deliver training simulations or run-throughs based on as-built conditions.

• Contractors or third-party service providers can be given access to scans for pre-visit planning.

According to the IEA, “simulation and digital twin-based training reduces time to field readiness by 30–60% in some cases.” When energy firms use Matterport and Autodesk together, they reduce the learning curve for new operators, improve compliance, and reduce the chances of error during high-risk tasks.

This approach is increasingly critical as nearly half of the current power industry workforce is expected to retire within the next decade, creating a significant knowledge gap . Digital twins not only expedite training but also enhance operational efficiency; for instance, virtual commissioning has been shown to reduce commissioning time and risk by up to 40%

Open Standards and Data Interoperability

One of the report’s final insights is that “interoperability of AI and spatial data tools is essential to scale digital grid infrastructure.” Closed systems or proprietary data formats slow down coordination, increase vendor lock-in, and reduce long-term adaptability.

Both Matterport and Autodesk offer APIs and support common data standards such as:

• IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) for BIM interoperability

• E57 for point cloud data export

• ReCap and Navisworks compatibility for construction coordination

• GIS data compatibility for use in Autodesk Civil 3D and InfraWorks

These standards allow for cross-platform workflows that support utility asset managers, engineering consultants, and regulators without forcing them into a single stack.

Summary: A Unified Path for Smarter Energy Systems

Matterport and Autodesk do not replace traditional grid design tools or energy forecasting platforms. Instead, they provide a shared foundation that is spatially accurate, visually rich, and cloud-based. This improves how teams plan, maintain, and secure energy infrastructure.

As AI becomes more integrated into the energy sector, the value of grounded, real-world data grows. Digital twins that accurately reflect physical conditions allow AI to reason more effectively, flag real risks, and accelerate decisions. That’s the promise behind many of the IEA’s recommendations, and it’s where Matterport and Autodesk are already delivering.

By aligning with insights from the IEA, energy professionals can use these tools today to build more resilient data centers, modernize grid planning, and support a smarter, more sustainable energy system.

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