The utilities industry has more available data for forecasting than ever before. Real-time weather feeds, near-real time customer consumption data, sensors on renewable assets, etc. This flood of data can be harnessed for powerful new insights that can dramatically improve operational efficiency. In addition, this data will offer utility forecasters many new opportunities to optimize resource allocations, predict future growth and provide deeper insights into the utility planning process. The ability to predict the volume, magnitude and location of demand – along with improved revenue projections – will bring significant financial rewards to companies that glean predictive insight from their data.