From virtual power plants to grid storage providers, we break down the tech companies making the electrical grid more resilient and efficient.
There are significant risks ahead for the electrical grid.
Threats to grid stability are escalating due to more extreme weather events and sophisticated cyber attacks. Increasing electricity demand due to data centers and electric vehicles exacerbates these challenges, while the global push toward sustainable — yet intermittent — power sources like solar and wind adds further complexities.
There is an urgent need for more power generation diversity and delivery system reliability, as exemplified by incidents like the 2021 Texas freeze and the 2022 California heatwave.
Accordingly, governments and companies are doubling down on smart grid technology. For example, the US recently announced over $30B in smart grid investments. Industry and tech leaders like Ford, GM, and Google have partnered with energy companies to develop virtual power plants (VPPs), while Caterpillar has heavily invested in microgrid solutions for construction and mining.
In the market map below, we identify 149 grid tech vendors operating across 15 categories.
Please click to enlarge.
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