#EP307 

The electric grid faces its biggest transformation in decades. Data center demand is set to triple in five years, capacity prices in PJM just hit $329 per megawatt-day, and grid operators are scrambling to prevent blackouts as massive AI facilities pull offline during disturbances.

Today on the Clean Power Hour, grid expert Peter Kelly-Detwiler reveals how microgrids and artificial intelligence are creating a "fractal grid" that could solve our mounting reliability crisis. Peter explains the critical difference between traditional microgrids and the emerging "macrogrids" - 500+ megawatt data center installations that function like inverse power plants.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why NERC is concerned about data centers causing grid failures
• The Dominion Virginia incident, where 1,500MW of data center load was instantly disconnected
• How PJM capacity prices jumped from $30 to $329 per megawatt-day
• AI-driven grid controls and their role in managing thousands of distributed resources
• Virtual power plants dispatching 535MW from 100,000+ home batteries in California
• The economics of microgrids in high-cost regions like PJM and California
• Brooklyn/Queens Demand Management Project: $150M solution vs $1.2B infrastructure upgrade
• State incentive programs driving storage deployment
• The "bring your own capacity" trend accelerating data center interconnections

Peter Kelly-Detwiler, author of "Energy Switch" and principal at Northbridge Energy Partners, provides insider analysis on where developers should focus their efforts and how utilities can leverage microgrids to avoid costly infrastructure upgrades.

Whether you're an energy professional, developer, or simply curious about the future of electricity, this episode reveals why microgrids are no longer optional, they're essential infrastructure for our digital economy.

Connect with Peter Kelly-Detwiler 

Website: https://www.peterkellydetwiler.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterkellydetwiler

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