Insights — December 2, 2025
The Three Technologies That are Reshaping the Power Industry
Over the past decade, the U.S. power landscape has been changing at an unprecedented pace.’The artificial intelligence’(AI)’boom has accelerated energy demand—to create—new consumption patterns—that are—adding—pressure on the grid. In response, utility providers and engineers are rethinking how they design and invest in power systems to keep them dependable. To meet rising electricity needs,’they’re—turning to—new technologies—to stabilize and strengthen the grid.’
Read on to learn more about the technologies that are reshaping the future of power.’’
Data Centers, Small Modular Reactors, and Reciprocating Natural Gas Generators’
Data centers are quickly becoming—a’determining factor in how the power landscape will—shape up—over the next decade.’These—facilities power and store the computer systems that power AI—and—are—being built at a rapid pace in correlation—with—the—recent—rise in—AI usage.’’Although they are—a huge technological advancement, there is a potential—caveat—in that they require—large amounts—of electricity to run,’and—that—demand is only expected to grow. By’2030, U.S. data centers could use more electricity than entire countries like Japan or—Turkey.’As—consumption—habits—change,’utility providers are rethinking—what technology and infrastructure—needs—to be invested in—to ensure that the grid—remains—stable.’One promising approach—combines’’small—nuclear power plants, known as?small modular reactors?(SMRs),’’SMRs—are designed to be more affordable and—reliable,’while RNGGs deliver—fast—power—with—no—emissions and scalable supply chains. When paired together, these—technologies provide a cleaner, cost-efficient energy solution capable of meeting the—electrical needs—of data centers.’They can also be constructed quickly, becoming operational in as little as sixty months.’
’Engineers—can implement this technology in’phases.’225 MWe—RNGGs come first, followed—by two—SMRs. Once the SMRs are running, the RNGGs shift into a supporting role, helping balance supply and demand,’and—providing backup power.’Because both RNGGs and SMRs are designed to be compact and modular, they scale easily alongside new data centers. That flexibility lowers project risk,’makes—better use of capital,’and—results—in—a’dependable, low-emissions power supply.’This solution for powering data centers—has captured the interest of major industry’heavyweights’like—Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, all of whom have announced plans to—invest in—SMRs and RNGGs to support new data center initiatives.’
Battery Energy Storage Systems’’
Another technology—the is reshaping the power landscape—is Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). These systems’use’batteries, advanced control software, and safety mechanisms—to store—excess electricity—from—renewable sources like solar and wind and deliver it—to consumers—within seconds when demand spikes. In doing so, BESS—can—change—variable energy output into—a’dependable—capacity and help—balance supply and demand—and cut peak costs.’BESS adds much-needed flexibility—since it—can’stabilize’the grid by regulating frequency,’supporting voltage, ramping power up or down, and even restarting parts of the grid after a blackout. It also—allows for—peak shaving—and load shifting—to reduce—congestion and—lower—prices for consumers.’All of these factors—are making—BESS a huge investment point for providers, a fact that is—reflected in—the market—as—BESS was the’most—invested’in-energy technology—in 2023.’’
’BESS is paving the way for the future of power technology, and it’s engineering that is going to make that future possible. Our teams are building systems to bring these energy storage solutions to life. We’re proud to be a thought leader in an industry that’s helping providers turn this technology into real, lasting impact for communities across the country.’
— Joe Zurad, Chief Quality Officer, Milhouse
Renewable Energy and BESS’
BESS—technology is also—helping to—integrate—renewable energy—into the power grid.’The’U.S. Energy Information Administration’projects that solar generation alone will—have—grown—by 75% between 2023 and the end of 2025.’But,’renewable energy sources—can’t—always—produce power consistently,’so—storage—systems—like BESS—are necessary—to store—that energy and—deliver—it on an ad-hoc—basis.’’
Our—country’s—current—power grid—wasn’t—designed to handle renewable energy at this scale, which means widespread infrastructure upgrades are—needed.’BESS—are—proving to be one of the most effective tools for making that transition possible—since it is easily scalable and—can—be used’commercially and residentially.’’
Examples of this include:’
| Front-of-the-meter (FTM) BESS | Behind-the-meter (BTM) commercial and industrial BESS | BTM residential BESS |
|---|---|---|
| Large-scale installations (over 10 megawatt-hours) are used to directly support utility operations.’ | Medium-scale systems (30 kilowatt-hours to 10 megawatt-hours) that help businesses integrate renewables, maintain backup power, and support EV charging.’ | Smaller systems (under 30 kilowatt-hours) give homeowners flexibility in sourcing their energy and powering their homes.’ |
Engineering—expertise—will be—needed to design—the systems—and—infrastructure—that—implement—renewable energy.’Milhouse is—already starting to support that transition.’When a solar farm in the Midwest needed to connect to a major utility network, our team provided the full electrical and civil engineering design to make it possible. This included installing new poles, underground cabling, automation equipment, and metering systems in coordination with permitting, procurement, and utility requirements. Thanks to our designs, the solar farm was successfully integrated into the region’s distribution system.’This project was part of a larger clean energy program sanctioned by Illinois lawmakers to bring clean energy to the state. Under this program,’we’ve—delivered multiple projects connecting renewable energy sources to utility grids and helped communities take—tangible—steps toward a more sustainable future.’
As these trends continue to progress, technologies like data centers, BESS, and renewable energy will reshape how we produce power, use it,’and ultimately, what—the energy landscape will look like in the next decade. Milhouse is proud to be at the forefront of this transformation. By supporting utility providers—as—they start to adopt these technologies, we help ensure grid stability and guarantee that consumers have access to dependable energy sources. This work reflects our commitment to advancing the next wave of technology in the power sector and making a positive impact—in—the communities we serve.’