We were proud to have TerraFlow Energy’s CTO, Ian Rock, on the panel. We were even more proud to hear the industry acknowledging what we’ve long believed: with the right infrastructure, data centers can become part of the grid solution, not just a growing problem.
As Ian pointed out during the discussion, AI workloads are wildly unpredictable. Inside a single data center, power demand can swing from 1 gigawatt to 600 megawatts and back in milliseconds. That kind of volatility isn’t something the grid is built to handle on its own. “You can’t expect generation to keep up with swings like that,” he explained. “Batteries are what buffer that. And not just any battery. You need something that runs constantly, cycles every day, and doesn’t wear out.”
That’s where TerraFlow’s long-duration storage approach fits in. Flow batteries can be charged and discharged thousands of times without degrading. They don’t just keep things running during a blackout. They operate in real time, handling harmonics, shaping load, and responding to grid signals.
Other panelists echoed the need for this kind of flexibility. “AI companies are becoming energy companies,” said Juliana Garaizar of Energy Tech Nexus. “They’re building their own data centers because they want control. Control over costs, over carbon, over how their systems interact with the grid.”
Katie Mehnert, CEO of ALLY Energy, added that what we’re facing isn’t just a tech challenge. It’s a human one. “We need systems thinking. We need people who can connect the dots, ask the right questions, and adapt to what’s coming,” she said.
And what’s coming is already here. Projects like the Stargate development in Texas are planning data centers in the 1 to 2 gigawatt range, with others eyeing capacities up to 5 or 6 gigawatts. That’s utility-scale power draw, happening behind a fence.
But as Ian noted, that kind of infrastructure can also serve the grid. If a data center is paired with the right storage, it can quietly shift off the grid during peak hours. It can flatten out demand when the rest of the system is stressed. “It doesn’t mean shutting anything down,” he said. “It just means running on battery during the times the grid needs relief. That’s the opportunity.”
It was a powerful conversation, and one that left us energized. Real people are talking about real solutions. We’re proud to be one of them. And we’re proud to keep building toward a smarter, more resilient grid.
