Introduction: What really happens when the grid goes down? In this episode of Unlocking the Energy Trilemma, Marc Borrett, CEO and Co-Founder of Reactive Technologies, joins Ravi and Jose to talk about one of the biggest blind spots in our shift to clean energy—grid inertia.
After a massive blackout hit Spain, Portugal, and southern France, Marc explains how real-time inertia measurement could help stop these kinds of events before they start. From managing AI-driven energy loads to the impact of nuclear plant closures, the conversation covers what grid operators everywhere need to start doing now.
Can you share an interesting fact related to the energy trilemma, reactive energy, or the importance of measuring and monitoring power grids?
How can stabilization technologies help prevent or manage large-scale blackouts in low-inertia, renewable-heavy grids?
To ensure stable grid operation should grid operators everywhere be required to have a minimum inertia threshold, similar to what’s being done in countries like Ireland?
What challenges do AI-driven loads pose to low-inertia, renewable-heavy grids, and how are these impacts being seen in Europe and the United States?
What impact do you think the possible closure of nuclear power plants in countries like Spain will have on grid inertia, and is there anything else that can be done to make up for it without delaying the implementation of renewables?
Do you think real-time inertia measurement will become a regulatory requirement in various markets, and is this something you’re actively working to achieve?
If you had a magic wand, what would you do to unlock the energy trilemma?