How do we prepare the grid for what’s next?
For much of Mohsen Zadeh's career, power systems were built around relatively predictable generation and load demand. Today, that assumption is disappearing. Utilities around the world are connecting renewable generation at unprecedented scale, integrating advanced transmission technologies, planning for gigawatt-scale AI data centers and introducing new grid technologies that would have been considered experimental only a few years ago. Each of these developments brings enormous opportunity while fundamentally changing how power systems behave.
The challenge is no longer simply adding new technologies to the grid, it’s ensuring they work together while maintaining the stability and reliability that communities and economies depend on.
One of the biggest shifts is the rapid growth of inverter-based resources (IBRs), including solar, wind and battery energy storage systems. These technologies are critical to achieving energy transition goals, but they behave very differently from traditional generation. As renewable penetration increases, utilities must carefully manage issues from system strength and inertia to dynamic performance.
To address these challenges, the industry is developing new technologies and standards. One of the most promising developments is the emergence of grid-forming converters. Unlike traditional grid-following technologies, grid-forming systems can provide synthetic inertia and support voltage stability while improving the performance of weaker grids. They can also help restore power following major disturbances, making them an increasingly important part of future power systems.
At the same time, new large load sources such as AI data centers are introducing entirely new planning challenges. Individual facilities are now requesting hundreds of megawatts - or even gigawatts - of power. Mohsen knows firsthand that sudden changes in consumption can create significant operational challenges if they are not properly planned and mitigated for.
Jacobs works with utilities, transmission operators, developers and technology providers to understand how all these moving parts interact. Whether it is integrating renewable generation, evaluating grid-forming technologies, connecting large loads or supporting major HVDC interconnection projects, we help clients understand and optimize the performance of the whole system.
Future dynamic power systems will be more connected and more complex than ever before. Maintaining stability in that environment will take integrated planning and a clear understanding of how technology and infrastructure work together.
Why stability matters more than ever
Renewable energy is transforming power systems globally, but it also introduces new operational challenges. This is why utilities are paying closer attention to stability and performance requirements, says Mohsen. Industry standards such as IEEE 2800 help utilities better integrate inverter-based resources without slowing progress toward decarbonization goals.
Grid-forming technologies are becoming increasingly important in this environment. By providing synthetic inertia and supporting system strength, they help create more resilient and stable networks capable of accommodating higher levels of renewable generation.
Planning for a more dynamic grid
The growth of AI infrastructure highlights why system planning must continue to evolve.
Many data center developments now require power on a scale traditionally associated with major industrial regions. These facilities introduce new operating characteristics and new levels of uncertainty that conventional planning approaches were not designed to address.
At the same time, technologies such as voltage-source converter HVDC systems are helping unlock access to renewable energy resources and strengthen interconnections between regions. Projects such as SuedLink in Germany, Marinus Link in Australia and Project Hostos in Puerto Rico demonstrate how advanced transmission infrastructure is helping reshape the future energy landscape.
The industry often focuses on individual technologies. Future success will depend on how generation, transmission, storage and large loads operate together. The power systems that perform best will be those designed and operated as integrated systems rather than collections of individual assets.
-
Power Lead, North America
Mohsen Zadeh prepares clients for the next generation of power systems by integrating renewable energy, advanced transmission technologies to meet large-scale demand while maintaining system reliability.
