The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is driving higher electricity demand across the United States--and creating fresh momentum for power-grid innovation. Industry leaders say the challenge is also an opportunity to modernize how energy is delivered and managed.
Weavegrid develops software to help utilities coordinate electricity use and make better use of existing infrastructure. Its founder and CEO, Apoorv Bhargava, says the grid must adapt to a growing mix of demand from data centers, electric vehicles, heat pumps and renewable energy.
Veir is working on the physical side of that transformation. The company's superconducting power lines are designed to carry electricity five times farther than conventional cables while taking up 20 times less space. CEO Tim Heidel says investment in AI infrastructure is helping promising technologies advance toward wider use.
Kristen Eberhard, vice president of policy at Rewiring America, points to the need for a broad approach: expanding transmission and power generation while also making better use of energy resources that are already available.
As electricity needs evolve, combining smarter energy management with more capable infrastructure could help make future grid expansion more flexible and efficient.
