Data center boom spurs innovation for the US power grid

The growth of data centers and other new electricity demands is straining the US power grid, but industry leaders say it is also creating opportunities to modernize it.

At TechCrunch Disrupt, Weavegrid CEO and founder Apoorv Bhargava, Veir CEO Tim Heidel, and Rewiring America policy vice president Kristen Eberhard discussed how utilities are responding to new loads from data centers, electric vehicles, heat pumps, and renewable energy. Bhargava said utilities are grappling with how to manage and coordinate these changing demands. Weavegrid’s software is designed to help organizations deploy energy efficiently and optimize connections, which Bhargava said could reduce utility customers’ bills.

Veir is developing superconductive power lines. The company says its cables can carry power five times farther than traditional cables while using 20 times less space. Earlier this month, Veir raised $110 million in a Series C funding round. Heidel said investment in AI infrastructure is driving technologies toward wider use.

Eberhard said the surge in data center power demand has brought urgency to grid modernization and made industries more willing to try new approaches. She said that alongside transmission lines and centralized power plants, the US should make better use of resources previously left untapped.