Volts Using more of the grid we’ve already built
Apr 1, 2026
Ian Magruder, head of the Utilize Coalition and an industry advocate for smarter grid use, explains why using existing capacity more could cut costs and speed power deployment. Short takes cover what grid utilization means, tech that enables flexibility, practical tools like batteries and VPPs, policy moves such as Virginia’s law, and the bipartisan case for measuring and improving utilization.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Why The Grid Runs At Half Capacity
- The U.S. power grid is built for its worst day so average utilization is low, currently about 50% nationwide.
- That design creates large fixed costs that push up bills even as generation costs fall, making underutilization an affordability problem.
Measure Utilization Not Prescribe Technology
- Set grid utilization as a measurable North Star instead of mandating specific technologies and let the lowest-cost solutions compete.
- Ian Magruder recommends adding utilization metrics into planning so utilities and regulators can choose technologies that raise throughput cheaply.
Google Buys Community Batteries In Minnesota
- Google is using on-site batteries and shifting compute to create a gigawatt of flexibility and is funding distributed community batteries in Minnesota.
- Their Minnesota project pairs Form Energy long-duration storage with $50M for community-scale batteries in church parking lots and front‑of‑meter sites.