By Robert Sherick, Vice President of Market Strategy, GridUnity.

When I sat down onstage at the DTECH Grid Innovation Forum last week, the room was already buzzing. The topic—data centers and grid innovation—has become one of the most urgent in our industry. And for good reason. As I listened to perspectives from fellow panelists representing utilities, developers, regulators, and solution providers, it became clear: we’re in uncharted territory.

It was an energizing conversation among utilities, developers, regulators, and technology providers. While industry load growth forecasts may vary, they all point in the same direction—up. We haven’t seen this kind of projected demand increase since the widespread adoption of air conditioning. But it’s not the average annual growth of 2–4% that’s most concerning—it’s the sharp, discontinuous spikes from large, concentrated loads.

A 200 to 500+ megawatt data center interconnection request can disrupt planning assumptions in ways our current systems weren’t designed to handle.

There’s a clear distinction between planning for general load growth and preparing for major, localized interconnection events. Both are essential. Both are difficult. And both are ripe for innovation.

One point I made during the discussion was the tension between the need for innovation and the operational reality of our industry. Electricity is mission-critical. It powers AI, manufacturing, electrification, and transportation—foundations of a modern economy. In this context, change is understandably slow—and trust in tried-and-true systems runs deep.

I shared my own background in system operations, where the mindset is pragmatic: if something worked yesterday and it’s working today, it’s probably good for tomorrow. In that environment, familiarity and reliability are non-negotiable. So, bringing in new tools—especially ones that haven’t been fully proven—requires a compelling case.

That’s why I encouraged regulators in the room to find space for some failure. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary. We can’t meet today’s demands—or tomorrow’s—without embracing innovation. And innovation doesn’t happen in a risk-free environment.

Artificial intelligence is a powerful example. It brings a host of potential use cases to nearly every corner of utility operations—from forecasting and planning to process optimization. At GridUnity, we’re actively developing AI-driven capabilities in the interconnection space that we believe will be transformational. While these innovations are still in progress, the trajectory is clear. The industry is exploring what's ready for prime time, and GridUnity is building toward that future.

It’s an exciting time to be part of this evolution. The challenges are big—but so is the opportunity to reimagine how we plan, operate, and grow the grid.

Robert Sherick leads GridUnity's strategic efforts to support utilities, RTOs, and regulators in modernizing interconnection and planning processes for the evolving energy landscape.

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