Enter the electric supercycle

What this episode covers

Andy Lubershane, head of research at Energy Impact Partners, explains the 'electric supercycle'—a series of interlocking technological flywheels involving solar PV, lithium-ion batteries, EVs, and wide-bandgap power electronics that are accelerating the clean energy transition. He argues that while AI-driven data center demand is creating a severe supply chain bottleneck and price surge, these early investments are scaling technologies like silicon carbide and microgrid controllers that feed back into grid infrastructure and robotics. Lubershane identifies physical transmission corridors as the primary rate limiter for meeting this surging demand, noting that societal resistance to new infrastructure remains the biggest hurdle.