​Ripple Hosts

​Mariana Costa

​EDP Ventures

​Eshel Lipman

​Ignite The Spark

​TL;DR

​This Ripple aims to explore whether our current power grids can meet the urgent demands of a net-zero future. Can legacy infrastructure keep pace with the electrification boom or is a radical overhaul needed? We will debate the roadblocks, breakthroughs, and bold great techie ideas that will shape tomorrow’s resilient, decarbonized energy networks.

​Topic overview

​After massive progress in renewables and DERs, the spotlight is now shifting to the real bottleneck: grid infrastructure. Without a modernized, flexible, and resilient grid, the energy transition can’t scale. As the AI boom and electrification strain both distribution and transmission networks, we need to ask: are we reinforcing legacy systems or redesigning for the future?

​What’s up for discussion?

• ​What are the major grid infrastructure constraints in the context of the global energy transition? What new issues have the AI boom and the high adoption rate of renewables introduce to the grid?

• ​Are current grids fundamentally upgradeable or do we need to rethink the architecture entirely?

• ​Where is the real flex requirement: transmission vs distribution; centralized versus decentralized?

• ​Where is the biggest solution space – enabling existing assets vs new-built etc.?

• ​What are the biggest funding gaps or investment risks in grid transformation?

• ​Stick and Carrot - How can startups harness heavy regulatory rules as a moat and not as a set back? How can utilities introduce more innovation with less friction?

• ​How big is the Gridtech opportunity for startups (And for investors)? How competitive it is in comparison to other ClimaTech startups

• ​Who should (& shouldn’t) lead the charge: governments, utilities, startups, or communities?

​Dream outcome

​We aim to co-create a shared framework for action — a playbook for how startups, utilities, regulators, and investors can drive grid innovation. Whether that’s accelerating pilots, de-risking adoption, or lobbying for smarter rules — let’s define how to make the grid fit for net-zero.

​Who should attend?

​Let’s start with those who should not participate: If you think that the grid cannot be more innovative, that grid utilities are not the right partners to innovate with, or if you don’t believe that the grid is the backbone of our economy - consider skipping this ripple

​However, anyone who want to share (and learn) more: startups in Grid-tech space, other investors in the energy transition/grid space, utilities, and even policymakers: Please join.

​If you are a person who dream every night on the next generation solid state power transformer, Room Temperature Superconductors and wireless energy? you HAVE to be there.