Energy Resilience is now a Business Strategy: Takeaways from Jim Masso

As AI adoption accelerates and energy-intensive operations such as data centers, semiconductor manufacturing facilities, biopharma sites and large industrial plants continue to expand, organizations are facing new questions about how to secure reliable, affordable power for their operations. Energy resilience has moved beyond the plant floor and into the executive suite, influencing decisions about site selection, capital investments, growth strategies and long-term business continuity.

Jim Masso, president and CEO of Honeywell Technologies Process Automation, recently joined Nadia Nubani, senior director of communications for Honeywell Technologies Process Automation, to discuss how changing energy demands are reshaping the industrial landscape and why intelligent energy management is becoming increasingly important.

Here are a few highlights from the interview:

Energy resilience has become a C-suite priority

According to Masso, energy availability, reliability and cost now influence nearly every major business decision, from where facilities are built to how they operate. As energy demand grows and grid dynamics become more complex, leaders must increasingly evaluate power availability, electricity costs and operational resilience alongside traditional business considerations.

"When I think about what has changed over the last two years with energy demand globally, it's a completely different dynamic," Masso said in the interview. "The criticality of energy and resilience in operations" is now impacting everything from business economics to facility planning.

For organizations evaluating new facilities, expansions or modernization investments, resilience is becoming a competitive advantage rather than simply an operational consideration. Questions like "Can I put a facility here?" and "Will reliable, affordable power be available?" are increasingly shaping growth decisions.

Battery storage is changing the economics of energy

Masso highlighted battery energy storage as one of the most significant developments shaping the future of industrial operations. However, storage is most effective when combined with intelligent energy management and automation that help organizations understand, predict and control energy demand across a facility.

"As soon as you look at the facility as a variable load that you can control, you can change how it interacts with the grid," Masso said. "Then you add energy storage, you can change the economics of the facility."

By pairing behind-the-meter energy storage with automation and energy management systems, organizations can optimize when and how energy is consumed, improve operational flexibility and strengthen resilience while reducing costs. A battery alone delivers value, but its impact grows significantly when integrated into a broader energy strategy.

Predictive energy management drives operational resilience

Energy resilience is not just about storing power. It also requires intelligence and automation. Masso emphasized that organizations need predictive capabilities that help anticipate energy demand, understand critical facility loads and adapt to changing conditions.

"Purely demand-based energy management systems aren't enough," he said. "You really need predictive capabilities."

Masso pointed to examples such as biopharma facilities, where operations can be affected by fluctuating demand from nearby energy-intensive sites such as data centers. By combining predictive analytics, automation, building controls and energy management systems, organizations can better understand how energy flows across their facilities and respond proactively to changing conditions.

By bringing together automation, energy storage and predictive intelligence, organizations can improve reliability, manage costs more effectively and create more resilient operations in an increasingly complex energy environment.

Energy resilience starts with understanding your energy profile

As leaders evaluate new builds, facility upgrades and modernization projects, Masso encourages organizations to take a comprehensive view of their energy footprint. Understanding critical loads, energy consumption patterns and resilience requirements can help organizations make more informed decisions about infrastructure investments and long-term growth.

Behind-the-meter energy storage, automation and predictive energy management can all play important roles, but the greatest value comes when they work together as part of a broader resilience strategy. Organizations that understand their energy profile today will be better positioned to manage costs, support growth and maintain operational continuity in the future.