G&W Electric’s PowerVoice Community Aims to Tackle Industry Hurdles of Future Grid Trends
Global power grid manufacturer G&W Electric announced the launch of its PowerVoice research community to bring utility experts and influencers together as a way to provide input on how grid demand is evolving across industry sectors.
Participating members would receive a monthly survey sent out pertaining to industry topics, where those results are then generated and utilized by G&W Electric to produce measurable solutions that address customer needs. As energy grid demand continues to shift in real time, U.S. utility companies are reportedly being asked to plan years ahead to meet the electrification requirements for AI and the expansion of data centers.
G&W Electric says that inviting qualified professionals from these sectors to participate in the five-minute monthly survey allows them to help fill gaps that many organizations have been working to navigate across the power ecosystem.
Headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois, G&W Electrics has been in operation since 1905 with manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Canada, Italy, China, and Mexico. The company also provides technical services and aftermarket support for its customers surrounding a lineup of electrical transmission and distribution equipment.
John Gounaris, vice president of global marketing for G&W Electric, refers to these evolving hurdles as the “3Ds” as energy grid goals continue to be reshaped.
“Decentralization, decarbonization, and digitalization – and utilities are being asked to respond to these changes simultaneously,” said Gounaris in a statement. “While different parts of the ecosystem are deeply connected, they often operate with limited visibility into how others are navigating these challenges.”
Approximately 4%-5% of U.S. electricity consumption in recent years was accounted for by data centers, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Those numbers are expected to increase between 6.7 and 12% of total U.S. electricity by 2028.
Gounaris believes a research community like PowerVoice can be designed to bring together many unique perspectives in a more data-driven and insightful way. The hope is that it makes it clearer for organizations to strategize on where the industry is heading and tackle those potential challenges.
