Currently, roughly 2,600 gigawatts of energy production capability – more than double the nation’s entire generation capacity – is awaiting connection to the U.S. grid. Prices and procurement times for essential components like power transformers and cables have almost doubled in four years, creating significant hurdles for grid developers. In total, retail electricity prices in the U.S. have hit new highs this year – jumping twice as fast as the overall cost of living – and demand for power continues to grow with buildouts of data centers, AI applications and cryptocurrencies. Meanwhile, extreme weather events are creating more disruptions. While power generation and demand are outstripping the ability of the grid to distribute that power, researchers, companies and energy providers are beginning to unearth new solutions – in new kinds of transformers, software solutions and U.S. uranium production.