What changed
At TechCrunch Disrupt, industry insiders discussed how the AI boom is driving a significant increase in energy demand, which is putting pressure on America’s aging grid infrastructure. However, they also emphasized that this surge is creating new opportunities for modernizing the grid.
What this means in practice
Apoorv Bhargava, founder and CEO of WeaveGrid, noted that the grid is now dealing with a variety of new variables, including renewable energy, electric vehicles, and data centers. His company’s software aims to help utilities manage and optimize energy connections to reduce costs for utility payers.
Tim Heidel, CEO of Veir, explained that his company is working on expanding the physical grid infrastructure with superconductive power lines that can transfer energy more efficiently. These cables can carry power five times farther than traditional cables while requiring 20 times less space. Veir recently raised $110 million in a Series C funding round.
Kristin Eberhard, VP of policy at Rewiring America, highlighted that the urgency from AI demand is pushing industries to adopt new technologies and approaches to grid modernization.
Limitations and availability
The supplied announcement does not specify the exact timeline for the implementation of these grid modernization efforts. It also does not provide details on the availability of WeaveGrid’s software or Veir’s superconductive power lines beyond their current funding and development stages. The focus remains on the potential for innovation and the need for rapid adoption to support the next stage of grid growth.
