Posts by jessica@pilgrimdesign.info
What is ‘superhot’ geothermal? Deep rock to baseload power, explained
The next big baseload power plant may not rise on a riverbank or coastal inlet. It may sit on a four‑acre pad in the high desert, quietly punching holes six miles deep into basement rock and pulling out heat above 750°F (400°C). As data centers and EV chargers devour megawatts (MW), a new class of…
Read MoreHow Customers Are Reshaping the Grid
From homeowners to businesses to AI data centers, customers are investing in distributed energy for their own reasons — and collectively rewiring how the entire electric system evolves. Recorded live to open The Great Transformation conference in Bend, Oregon, host Elisa Wood sits down with three people who aren’t just watching this shift — they’re…
Read MoreSpeed to Power Doesn’t Mean What It Meant a Year Ago
“Speed to power” is a defining phrase of the data center era. The conversation used to center on one question: How do we build power fast enough to meet AI demand? But that’s changing as the industry increasingly seeks ways to mine the system for spare capacity, flexibility and efficiency.
Read MoreJ.P. Morgan Explains the Math Behind the $5-7 Trillion AI Buildout and Where Energy Fits In
Flexible Interconnection Models and Frankenstein Microgrids Come Alive at Oregon Conference
At a conference in Bend, Oregon, speakers from Google, GridCARE, Schneider Electric and Think Microgrid offered up innovative ideas for integrating more distributed energy onto the grid. The audience also learned about “Frankenstein microgrids.”
Read MoreStandardizing Chaos: Why the C&I Microgrid Market Deserves a Roadmap
In many cases, no one has actually been tasked with designing the control logic, the sequence of operations, and the comms architecture. The project has been sold, a battery has been selected, and the question lands in our lap: “Who’s programming the relay?”
Read MoreAn Irresistible Force Collides with an Immovable Object
The technology to transform the electric grid already exists. So why isn’t the transition happening faster?
Read MoreComing Together for Energy’s Great Transformation [Podcast]
Can the energy industry stop talking to itself and start talking to everyone else? Elisa Wood sits down with Robert W. Cross to talk distributed energy, microgrids, storage, and the human side of the grid transformation.
Read MoreGreat Transformation 2026: The Rise of Distributed Energy Resources conference announces speaker list
The Technology Association of Oregon and Outfit today announced speakers for the Great Transformation 2026: The Rise of Distributed Energy Resources, a premier executive summit bringing together 250+ C-suite leaders, policymakers, and cleantech innovators at the Riverhouse Lodge in Bend, Oregon, July 8-10, 2026.
Read MoreThe Great Transformation: Oregon’s AI and Energy Evolution [Podcast]
The podcast episode features an in-depth discussion on the Great Transformation event, which focuses on the critical intersection of AI, data centers, and energy innovation in Oregon.
Read More