Big data is basically a buzz word for data analytics.
For energy and utility companies, big data could change their business models. Companies like Solar City and Tesla are starting to give people the means to meet their own electricity demands. If this trend continues, the main source of power for many people may not be a giant power station, but their neighborhood full of solar panels.
Utility companies could become more of a mediator between homes, using big data to seamlessly find the best source of power for a home, whether it be their neighborhood solar panels or the nuclear power plant in town.
It could lead energy to become 'un-commoditized' according to Anthony Yuen, an analyst at Citi.