When 1,500 MW Vanished: Peter Kelly-Detwiler on the Hidden Crisis Breaking Our Grid

#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 failuresThe Dominion Virginia incident, where 1,500MW of data center load was instantly disconnectedHow PJM capacity prices jumped from $30 to $329 per megawatt-dayAI-driven grid controls and their role in managing thousands of distributed resourcesVirtual power plants dispatching 535MW from 100,000+ home batteries in CaliforniaThe economics of microgrids in high-cost regions like PJM and CaliforniaBrooklyn/Queens Demand Management Project: $150M solution vs $1.2B infrastructure upgradeState incentive programs driving storage deploymentThe "bring your own capacity" trend accelerating data center interconnectionsPeter 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 Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email [email protected] Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: [email protected] Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

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