Latest news with #PeakNano
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why The Power Grid Must Be A Strategic Priority For Businesses
Shaun Walsh, CMO at Peak Nano, is a marketing leader with expertise in grid-enhancing technologies, fusion, nuclear, cybersecurity and AI. When we consider national security risks, cybersecurity, AI, pandemics and military threats dominate the conversation. Yet America's power grid is arguably our biggest vulnerability—a 'silent risk' often invisible to business leaders, policymakers and the public. Every aspect of our economy is based around a functional grid, but we aren't in the driver's seat. Take the recent U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods; in response, Ontario announced a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to several U.S. states, though this plan was suspended. This incident, while disruptive, pales in comparison to the risk of relying on other countries to source and replace grid components. We have the technology to eliminate this risk, but struggle to communicate its severity. Leaders must make the invisible visible—showing how the grid underpins every aspect of our economy so we can work toward establishing resilience. Challenges Facing The Grid Reliance on foreign suppliers has left our grid dangerously exposed. The Department of Energy has warned that America lacks the supply chain for true energy independence. Decades of offshoring have hollowed out domestic manufacturing, limiting our capacity to ramp up production during demand spikes and crises. With rising geopolitical tensions and market volatility, China's ability, in particular, to disrupt America's supply of grid materials grows. Imported technologies could also give hostile actors remote access to our critical infrastructure, threatening national security. If our supply of grid materials is cut off, utilities will lose their ability to maintain and expand our grid. During demand spikes and relentless heatwaves, like the ones breaking records this summer, major grid components like power capacitors, which are essential for grid stability, can't cool down. This triggers chain reactions that can lead to brownouts and dangerous blackouts. As AI data centers force technology companies to become power companies themselves, and industries are expected to begin reshoring manufacturing, our fragile grid can't keep pace. To solve these challenges, businesses and policymakers must incentivize strategic shifts. And to be successful, we need to change the way we talk about our grid. The Power Paradox The push to reshore manufacturing is gaining momentum but faces a fundamental obstacle: power itself. For example, my company, Peak Nano, is expanding U.S. production of advanced capacitor films—essential components of our power grid. As we do so, our biggest barrier isn't capital, workforce or land. It's access to sufficient, reliable electricity. The grid is stretched thin, and new industrial projects face long waits for connections. This is a nationwide bottleneck impacting everything from semiconductor fabs to battery plants and data centers. We can't reshore critical industries without guaranteeing them power. If we don't invest in grid modernization, the promise of an American manufacturing revival will be stalled—not by lack of ambition or innovation, but by the simple inability to plug in and power up. Making The Case For U.S. Innovation Companies producing grid-enhancing technologies (GETs)—including my company—like solid-state transformers, high-frequency switching and advanced capacitor film often struggle to communicate the value of these technologies to utilities, which face limited capital for scaling and upgrading and regulatory challenges for new substations and power lines. For example, the U.S. currently relies completely on imported capacitor film that needs frequent replacement. Domestically made GETs that improve performance and protect our energy security should be a no-brainer, but the grid's complexity and constant operation often make its risks easy to overlook—until it fails. Most assume electricity will always be available and underestimate the serious consequences of outages. Public attention is often focused on more immediate threats, like cyberattacks or conflicts, which have clearer stories. Explaining supply chain vulnerabilities requires simplifying technical details and turning an invisible problem into relatable stories. It's no simple task. Every added degree of heat stress affects hospitals, homes and businesses—the infrastructure we depend on. As climate extremes become the new normal and other demand pressures rise, modernizing grid components with U.S.-made technology is essential. We need boards, customers and partners to advocate for and invest in upgrading the grid. Communications teams must clearly connect grid weaknesses to business impacts like lost revenue, public safety, reputational damage and national competitiveness. With a steady drumbeat of crises, cutting through requires fresh angles, clear analogies and tangible stories. Striking the right tone is hard, but essential. We need to convey urgency without fearmongering, which leaves audiences feeling apathetic. Ten Years To Grid Independence Achieving true grid independence won't happen overnight. But with focused investment and a strategic approach to infrastructure, we can secure our grid within a decade. Secretary Wright and the Department of Energy have called for a comprehensive strategy to scale, stabilize and secure the grid. Here's how business leaders can help: • Audit and diversify your supply chain. Map suppliers for critical components. Identify adversarial country dependencies and invest in domestic alternatives. • Treat power as a strategic asset. When planning expansions, engage with utilities early and advocate for local grid upgrades and on-site energy solutions. Factor power access into site selection and risk planning. • Invest in talent and training. Partner with schools and STEM programs, offering apprenticeships and upskilling to engineers and tradespeople to operate, maintain and repair our grid. • Modernize and future-proof operations. Upgrade to advanced, energy-efficient equipment like capacitor films that can handle higher loads and extreme conditions. Making Power A Strategic Communications Priority America's grid is the backbone of our economy and national security. The threats it faces, from supply chain vulnerabilities to aging infrastructure and escalating demand, are urgent and undeniable. But they present a clear call to action and communications opportunity. Communications leaders have a vital role to play in elevating U.S. energy independence as a strategic priority. By educating stakeholders on reshoring our supply chains, advocating for domestic infrastructure and building strong partnerships with policymakers and industry peers, they can accelerate progress. With effective communication, we can mobilize business and government leaders to treat power as a critical economic asset—protecting our technological and industrial leadership and securing the nation's future. Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Legacy Grid, New Demands: Bridging The Gap In Our Electrification Boom
Dr. Michael Ponting is Chief Scientific Officer at Peak Nano, a leading innovator in advanced capacitor films, specialty films, and optics. America's power grid is at a crossroads. As we stand on the brink of an electrification boom, driven by AI, electric vehicles (EVs), data centers and the promise of fusion energy, our aging infrastructure is under unprecedented strain, facing demands it was never designed to meet. The stakes are high: Every blackout, supply chain disruption and overheating substation reminds us that the future we envision cannot exist without a resilient, modern power grid. Grid-enhancing technologies are essential to manage these new pressures. A Grid Built For Yesterday, Facing Tomorrow's Challenges The U.S. power grid was built for a different era, when demand was predictable and technology advanced slowly. Today, extreme weather events such as wildfires, hurricanes and summer heatwaves push our grid to the brink, causing blackouts and exposing the limits of outdated materials and systems. These vulnerabilities aren't hypothetical. They're disrupting communities now. As AI, EVs, data centers and eventually fusion energy accelerate electrification, the pressure on the grid will only intensify. After nearly 20 years of flat demand, the U.S. faces a surge in energy consumption that requires significant grid expansion. AI, cloud computing and data storage are driving this growth. According to McKinsey, data centers alone are projected to account for 30-40% of new electricity demand through 2030. They consumed around 178 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2024, a number that could soar to 606 TWh by 2030—tripling their share to 12% of total U.S. electricity use. This is already driving up utility costs. Bloomberg reported a $9.4 billion increase for the largest U.S. grid in June 2025, costs that will ultimately be passed on to consumers. The Right Materials For The Job The grid of our future demands higher temperature switches, increased voltages and more durable, easy-to-integrate components. This is something I know all too well as the chief scientific officer at Peak Nano, an innovator in capacitor films and more. The right materials could make or break our energy supply. Current capacitors that store, transfer and deliver power use industry-standard biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), which cannot withstand today's extreme conditions, particularly heatwaves. BOPP performance degrades at high temperatures, forcing utilities to install more capacitors, add cooling infrastructure and replace them more frequently. Beyond Capacitors: The Broader Technology Imperative Capacitor films are just one piece of the puzzle. Legacy grid components must be modernized to handle higher loads and temperatures. Technologies such as dynamic line ratings, power flow controllers, topology optimization software and conductors are critical. We can also leverage AI for energy management, along with digital advancements like solid-state transformers and high-frequency switching, which will strengthen the grid. Reshoring Supply Chains To Secure Our Energy Future What most people don't realize—and what I've realized during my time in the industry—is that a large portion of BOPP capacitor films are imported. In my opinion, this poses a significant risk. BOPP is consumable and forces utilities to replace entire capacitor units every couple of years. If China flipped the switch and cut off our BOPP supply, the U.S. grid would cease to function. We couldn't provide replacement parts to keep the system up and provide power for Americans. With rising geopolitical tensions, supply disruptions and fires like the one at India's main manufacturing facility, America is dangerously exposed. To lead the next energy revolution, we need locally made materials that withstand power surges, last longer and provide reliable, affordable power. Fusion, SMRs And The Grid Of Tomorrow As the energy landscape evolves, so must our grid. Fusion and small modular reactors (SMRs) promise nearly limitless clean energy but require unprecedented power delivery and storage. You can't start a fusion reactor without capacitors (you must have power in order to get power). Only then does fusion become self-fulfilling. Today, the U.S. is completely dependent on other countries—primarily China—to supply the capacitors needed to start the fusion process. This puts us at China's mercy. If China has to choose between powering their fusion reactors or ours, they're not going to pick ours. Without the right grid materials, made here in America, we risk falling behind. Policy, Investment And The Path Forward The solution to our aging grid infrastructure won't come from a single technology. We need coordinated action across the public and private sectors—from fusion and electric utilities to plastic materials, capacitor manufacturing, government and more. We've known about our grid's vulnerabilities for decades, but underinvestment and regulatory inertia have delayed upgrades. Now, the need and capabilities are converging. The private sector must invest in next-generation materials and embrace innovation, like smart grids and underground high-voltage DC substations that withstand extreme weather. Policymakers need to prioritize grid modernization, streamline permitting for new technologies and incentivize domestic manufacturing. A Call To Arms Without investment in a secure, stable grid, the future we envision—including AI, EVs and fusion—will remain out of reach. This is our greatest Achilles' heel. America has the talent, technology and manufacturing prowess to secure our energy future. The only question is whether we have the conviction. The time to act is now. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
