AI’s power problem: why batteries saved the grid | Energy Gang

Описание: The US power grid survived extreme winter storms that once caused mass blackouts. Battery storage is the reason why.

During Arctic conditions like Winter Storm Uri, grid-scale batteries delivered nearly 6 GW at critical moments. That’s just 1 % of total electricity, but without it, millions of homes would have lost power. As electricity demand surges from AI, data centers, and electrification, batteries are now core to grid resilience and the energy transition.

On this episode of Energy Gang, Ed Crooks and Amy Myers Jaffe are joined by Julian Nebreda, CEO of Fluence, the world’s leading utility-scale battery provider. Julian explains why batteries are now essential infrastructure, how they complement renewables, replace gas peaker plants, and enable faster, cheaper, more reliable power. They also discuss AI data centers, supply chains, and what recent grid successes reveal about the future of clean energy deployment.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Why batteries prevented a Winter Storm Uri-scale blackout
How they achieve 99 % availability, outperforming thermal generation
Why AI data centers prioritize speed to power over going off-grid
How batteries replace gas peaker plants faster and cheaper
Key supply chain and policy challenges for large-scale deployment

CHAPTERS

01:00 EV batteries in extreme cold: a real world stress test
02:35 Why electricity is a public service, not just a commodity
03:26 What Fluence actually does, from design to recycling
05:21 AI and data centers drive the next wave of energy demand
08:05 How 6 GW of batteries prevented cascading grid failure
12:08 The two peak problem utilities cannot ignore anymore
13:27 Cold weather performance and 99 percent availability
16:33 Why batteries complement generation instead of replacing it
18:33 The battery myth that still confuses policymakers
25:17 16 GW installed in 2024: slowdown or market reset
28:04 FEOC rules, China and battery supply chains
42:46 The four ways data centers use battery storage
54:36 Bad Bunny, Puerto Rico and when energy failures go public

KEY INSIGHTS

Battery systems deliver 99 percent availability, far exceeding gas, coal, wind, or solar during peak stress events
Batteries provided only 1 percent of US electricity during winter storms, yet prevented widespread blackouts
The US added 16 gigawatts of grid-scale battery storage in 2024, a 50 percent year over year increase
Battery projects can be delivered in under two years, compared to much longer timelines for generation
Data centers use batteries primarily to meet grid connection and curtailment requirements, not to go off grid

RESOURCES

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ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Julian Nebreda, president and CEO of Fluence, joins Ed Crooks and Amy Myers Jaffe to break down why battery storage has become the fastest growing sector in the global energy industry. From grid resilience and AI-driven electricity demand to clean technology supply chains and energy justice, this episode explores how batteries are reshaping utilities, renewable energy deployment, and the low carbon transition.

GUEST

Julian Nebreda: President & CEO, Fluence Energy
LinkedIn:   / julian-nebreda  

HOSTS

Ed Crooks: Host, Energy Gang
LinkedIn:   / edcrooks  

Amy Myers Jaffe, Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab
X: https://x.com/AmyJaffeenergy?s=20

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Julian argues that batteries should handle all peaking capacity while baseload plants operate at constant output. Are utilities in your region thinking this way, or are gas peaker plants still the default solution?

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