Today in Energy 3/14/2025
The latest news affecting US energy and power infrastructure
Key Points:
National Grid’s venture arm is committing $100 million to startups using artificial intelligence to modernize the grid, aiming for a more efficient, resilient power system amid rising demand
Solar-tech startup Terabase secured $130 million (Series C) led by SoftBank to scale its robotic solar farm construction platform, reflecting investor focus on speeding up renewable deployment as energy needs grow
The Texas grid hit all-time highs for wind, solar, and battery output in early March – at one point meeting 76% of demand with renewables – underscoring the rapid rise of clean energy and storage on the U.S. grid
A federal grid monitor warned that Midwest grid operator MISO’s $30+ billion transmission expansion plan may be overestimating benefits by ignoring a major wind energy link, spurring calls for FERC oversight to ensure fair, cost-effective grid upgrades
Pearl Street, PJM, and Enverus Join Forces: A new collaboration to speed up solar interconnections in the PJM region could significantly reduce interconnection delays, optimize project siting, and pave the way for more rapid renewable adoption.
National Grid Bets $100 M on AI Startups to Future-Proof the Electric Grid
National Grid Partners – the venture capital arm of the major utility – announced a new $100 million fund to invest in artificial intelligence startups focused on the energy sector. The goal is to accelerate technologies that can make the grid more efficient, flexible, and secure. National Grid’s CEO John Pettigrew noted that power networks are facing unprecedented challenges from “soaring demand” (driven by data centers, electrified transport and heating) and the influx of renewables and EV charging. AI-driven solutions can help utilities balance these loads and optimize operations in real time. As part of this initiative, NGP revealed a fresh investment in Amperon, a Texas-based startup whose AI software helps forecast energy demand and grid conditions. National Grid Partners has already put $150 million into 18 AI energy startups to date, and this new commitment will boost grid innovation at a critical time. By funding tools like predictive analytics, digital twins, and automated grid management, the utility aims to integrate more clean energy while preventing outages and reducing costs. This move highlights a broader trend of power companies embracing Silicon Valley tactics – using AI and big data – to modernize aging grid infrastructure and meet future demand growth.
Solar Automation Startup Terabase Raises $130 M to Speed Up Clean Energy Buildout
California-based Terabase Energy has closed a $130 million Series C funding round led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2, bringing its total financing to over $200 million. Terabase develops robotic and software systems to digitize and automate the construction of utility-scale solar farms. Its flagship “Terafab” system uses robotic arms and AI-driven control to assemble large solar arrays faster and with less manual labor. The new funding will help scale up manufacturing of Terafab robots and deploy them on solar projects worldwide. According to the company, the technology can double installation productivity while improving safety by eliminating heavy lifting for workers. Investors are betting that such automation will be crucial as solar deployment accelerates to meet rising power demand. In fact, SoftBank’s clean energy fund pointed to the “surge in energy demand, particularly from AI data centers,” as underscoring the urgency for scalable renewable solutions. Terabase’s round – which also included Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures and other climate-tech funds – signals confidence in innovative tech that can tackle bottlenecks in clean energy infrastructure. By cutting costs and construction times, automation platforms like Terafab could help the U.S. grid rapidly add solar capacity in line with climate goals and booming electricity needs.
Texas Grid Shatters Wind, Solar, and Battery Records in One Week
The first week of March brought record-breaking renewable energy generation to Texas’ main power grid (ERCOT), highlighting the state’s clean energy growth. Wind output hit an all-time peak of 28,470 MW, solar reached 24,818 MW, and batteries on the grid delivered a record 4,833 MW surge of power. To put this in perspective, Texas’ battery fleet is now at times supplying nearly as much instantaneous power as one of its large nuclear plants – a remarkable leap from just two years ago when batteries maxed out at 766 MW. At the same time, the event underscores the importance of grid planning for extreme conditions – ensuring enough reliable capacity when weather isn’t as favorable
FERC Pressed to Review MISO Plan as Watchdog Flags “Over-Building” of Grid
A conflict over how to expand the electric grid is brewing in the Midwest. The independent market monitor for MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator) warned in a March 13 filing that MISO’s latest transmission expansion blueprint may be overstating its benefits. The issue centers on the Grain Belt Express, a proposed 5 GW high-voltage line to carry Kansas wind power to Illinois and beyond. MISO omitted this privately funded project from its planning models – a decision that, according to monitor David Patton, inflated the need for MISO’s own $32 billion of new lines. Patton told federal regulators that if Grain Belt were included, the benefit-cost ratios of MISO’s $22 billion second-phase projects would drop below 1 (from MISO’s current estimates of up to 3.5). He described MISO’s analysis as “highly biased in favor of over-building transmission” and urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to increase oversight. The dispute has drawn support from officials in multiple states: regulators in Arkansas, Mississippi, and North Dakota jointly asked FERC to act on Invenergy’s complaint that Grain Belt was unfairly excluded. MISO, for its part, defends its planning as rigorous and says it welcomes more grid capacity to meet rising demand. This showdown highlights the tension in U.S. grid planning – balancing the rapid build-out of regional transmission for renewables with concerns about cost, transparency, and competition from third-party projects. How FERC responds could set important precedents for the nation’s grid upgrade strategy amid the clean energy transition.
Pearl Street, PJM, and Enverus Team Up to Streamline Solar Interconnections
In a collaborative effort designed to tackle solar interconnection bottlenecks, Pittsburgh-based Pearl Street has partnered with PJM Interconnection (the largest U.S. wholesale electricity market operator) and energy analytics firm Enverus to develop new simulation tools that can analyze, model, and optimize solar project siting. The objective is to reduce the notoriously long wait times for new solar projects in PJM’s interconnection queue, which have often stretched for years amid a flood of renewable energy proposals. By providing more accurate load-flow data and automated feasibility analyses, Pearl Street’s platform could lower development risk and speed up regulatory approvals. PJM currently handles nearly 1,400 GW of proposed renewables, underlining the scale of this challenge. Experts say better modeling software helps ensure that new solar capacity can be integrated without destabilizing the grid. If successful, this initiative will serve as a blueprint for other U.S. markets, showcasing how public-private partnerships and advanced analytics can expedite renewable deployment.