Data center boom could spur modernization of the US power grid, industry leaders say
Surging energy demand from AI is straining America's aging electrical grid, but speakers at TechCrunch Disrupt argued it is also driving new solutions. Executives and a policy expert pointed to grid-management software, more efficient power lines and a new willingness to try fresh approaches.
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence has pushed electricity demand in the United States sharply higher, putting pressure on the country's aging power grid. At the TechCrunch Disrupt technology conference earlier this month, industry figures argued that the wave of new connections could also create an opening to modernize that infrastructure.
Critics worry that the energy crunch could raise electricity bills in the short term and eventually lead to outages or other technical problems. Speaking at the event were Apoorv Bhargava, founder and CEO of grid software company Weavegrid; Tim Heidel, CEO of power-line maker Veir; and Kristen Eberhard, VP of policy at Rewiring America, an organization that advocates for household electrification.
Management and new infrastructure
Bhargava said the grid is now very different, with many new variables, including renewable energy and new load from electric vehicles, data centers and heat pumps. In his view, the ability to manage and orchestrate that load is what utilities are now grappling with. Weavegrid's software is meant to help deploy energy efficiently and optimize connections to reduce bills for utility customers.
Veir, by contrast, works on the physical side of the grid. It sells superconductive power lines that, according to the company, can carry power five times further than traditional cables while requiring 20 times less space. The startup raised $110 million in a series C funding round earlier this month.
Heidel said the scale of investment in AI infrastructure is driving a great deal of innovation, with many new technologies reaching scale. He said these could help data centers be good neighbors to their communities, and urged that they be adopted as quickly as possible.
Readiness to try new things
Eberhard said the surge in data center demand has given modernization fresh urgency and created an environment where industries are willing to experiment. In her words, more transmission lines and more centralized power plants are needed, alongside making use of options that had previously been left untapped.
