power grid

NTT Inc. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) conducted an optical wireless power transmission experiment using a laser beam to wirelessly transmit energy over a distance of one kilometer. By irradiating a laser beam with an optical power of 1 kW, the team succeeded in receiving 152 W of electric power. This marks the world’s […]

America’s power producers face growing pressure to do more with less. A rapidly evolving grid, increasing demand, aging infrastructure, and policy uncertainty have created a system where traditional approaches to reliability are no longer enough. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) recently issued its 2025 RISC report, highlighting the leading risks facing America’s power […]

The U.S. power grid has delivered electricity reliably for decades. However, today the grid faces challenges that are driving transformation, reshaping its operational scope and the technologies on which it relies.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 70% of the nation’s grid transmission lines and transformers are more than 25 years old, straining under the pressures of rising electrification and renewable integration. As power producers, utilities, and grid operators push toward decarbonization targets, the need for more intelligent, responsive, and resilient grid infrastructure […]

In the past decade, we have seen “once in a century storms” almost every year, flash floods wiping out entire towns, and extreme heat that melts shoes on pavement. Our climate is becoming more extreme, and we need to be proactive in preparing our infrastructure for more to come. The annual average for U.S. billion-dollar […]

In a special edition of The POWER Podcast, released in collaboration with the McCrary Institute’s Cyber Focus podcast, POWER’s executive editor, Aaron Larson, and Frank Cilluffo, director of the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security and Professor of Practice at Auburn University, discuss the evolving power grid and cybersecurity challenges. Specifically, they highlight […]

From healthcare to aviation, artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used to close operational gaps and garner efficiencies in key industries. Indeed, 78% of respondents in McKinsey’s State of AI Survey for 2025 indicated that their organization is using AI for at least one business function. This year and beyond, the question of AI adoption […]

The challenge posed by surging demand for electricity from data centers and high-performance computing facilities presents an ideal time for innovative energy solutions that efficiently improve grid reliability and increase the availability of clean, affordable electricity. Not only does the U.S. risk missing more than $100 billion of artificial intelligence (AI) market growth over the […]

The U.S. is bracing for a reality where artificial intelligence and data centers overwhelm the power grid, and rightfully so, as America seeks to lead the global AI race. But this push is coming at the same time that the federal government is reshuffling fiscal priorities and prioritizing energy independence. While that dynamic may seem like a challenging juxtaposition, one thing is clear: regardless of political affiliation or preferred priority, if the U.S. wants to lead the world in AI, it must power it first.

Large distances are something you get used to if you live in Australia. Perth, on the west coast, is about 2,500 miles away from Brisbane on the east coast. Even within the state of Western Australia (WA), the