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Will energy storage save the grid?
How batteries and the software behind them are reshaping reliability in the age of AI demand
Sylvia Leyva Martinez
Director, North America Utility-Scale Solar and Host of Interchange Recharged podcast
Sylvia Leyva Martinez
Director, North America Utility-Scale Solar and Host of Interchange Recharged podcast
Sylvia researches market dynamics, business models, market developments and financial strategies of solar PV projects
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Navigating the world after OB3
Electrification is surging, AI data centres are multiplying and volatility is rising on both sides of the meter. Can storage step in as the flexible backbone the US grid now needs?
Host Sylvia Leyva Martinez is joined by Joanna Martin Ziegenfuss, General Manager for Strategic Market Development (North America) and Ruchira Shah, General Manager of Software Product Management at Wärtsilä Energy Storage. Together they unpack how high-performance hardware paired with sophisticated control software delivers real-time flexibility, from synthetic inertia and fast frequency response to price arbitrage and microgrid operation.
The conversation tracks the shift from treating storage as a bolt-on to renewables to viewing it as a core reliability asset. Sylvia, Joanna and Ruchi explore how AI-driven load growth and volatile demand profiles change planning assumptions; why interconnection queues are pushing some data centres toward on-site generation plus batteries; and how market rules and policy must evolve to reward flexibility and sub-second response. They also dig into software’s role in future-proofing assets as grid requirements tighten and where innovators are already meeting new performance thresholds.
If you’re navigating project economics, market design or grid operations in a fast-changing landscape, this episode offers a pragmatic look at what’s working, what’s missing and why storage is set to anchor a resilient, decarbonised grid.
This episode is brought to you by Wärtsilä Energy Storage – Wärtsilä delivers high performing, large-scale energy storage systems by combining sophisticated software, robust safety, and long‑term reliability—empowering utility, IPP and data center customers to maximise energy value and investment returns. Learn more.
Business as usual is over
Introducing the latest insight from our thought leaders, the book Connected: Bringing predictability to the increasingly uncertain world of energy.
As climate change accelerates and geopolitical tensions reshape global markets, the energy landscape has become increasingly interconnected. Connected explores why those interconnections have developed, and how they bring clarity to the most important decisions we make about the future of energy.
