EP&T: Making the switch

Menlo Micro’s Ideal Switch technology accelerates the ‘Electrification of Everything’.

The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act represents the largest climate investment in U.S. history. As with any major piece of legislation, it has its share of critics. Politicians, pundits and experts will continue to argue over the specifics of climate action, but the fundamental goal has become clear—transitioning quickly from carbon fuels to more sustainable, climate-friendly ways of powering our lives.

While the ‘electrification of everything’ movement is a critical element of climate action, it presents some new challenges. Most of us have grown accustomed to cheap, reliable sources of energy, but recent events like the winter storm that shut down the grid in Texas and wildfires in California have made it clear that our nation’s electric grid is in poor shape.

Removing carbon-based fuels from the equation will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but electrification will also dramatically increase the load on the grid. Take electric vehicles (EVs), for example. Experts have concluded we’ve reached the EV tipping point, but mass adoption of EVs means America’s drivers will consume much more electricity. As we move steadily toward electrifying everything, from cars to kitchens, that load on the grid will grow rapidly.

This article originally featured in EP&T Magazine. Read the full version here.