ABB has partnered with Texas-based microgrid specialist VoltaGrid to enhance power stability and support the surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centres across the United States. As AI adoption accelerates, the need for reliable, resilient and efficient power systems has become critical. ABB’s technology will play a key role in ensuring grid stability and supporting data centre operators as they scale up for AI-driven workloads.
Under three new orders placed in 2025, ABB will supply VoltaGrid with 27 synchronous condensers and prefabricated eHouse units. Each eHouse will be equipped with power control systems, automation and excitation technologies integrated into ABB’s synchronous condenser control panels. Together, these systems provide high inertia, voltage support and reactive power management, capabilities essential for maintaining grid stability and preventing faults in power-intensive environments such as hyperscale data centres.
VoltaGrid will deliver its proprietary natural gas-fuelled power solution to complement ABB’s technology. Designed for rapid deployment and scalability, the VoltaGrid system can be deployed behind the meter as either a temporary or long-term energy solution. This flexibility makes it particularly well suited to the needs of AI data centres, where continuous power supply and adaptability are key operational requirements. Project delivery is expected to begin in December 2025, with the first installations scheduled to go live by April 2026.
According to VoltaGrid CEO Nathan Ough, ABB’s synchronous condensers are central to ensuring grid resilience and meeting the performance expectations of next-generation data centres. “Partnering with ABB allows us to accelerate project execution and meet the growing performance demands of AI operations, delivering more value to our customers,” he said.
The expansion of AI infrastructure is transforming global energy demand. In 2024, data centres accounted for around 1.5 per cent of the world’s total electricity consumption, with the US responsible for nearly half of that share. By 2030, data centre electricity use in the US is forecast to more than double, representing almost half of the country’s total growth in electricity demand. Analysts predict that by the end of the decade, the US will consume more electricity processing data than manufacturing energy-intensive goods such as steel, aluminium, cement and chemicals combined.
ABB’s contribution to this partnership aligns with its broader commitment to support data centre operators with electrification, automation and digitalisation solutions. The company’s technologies are designed to enhance operational reliability, improve energy efficiency and optimise costs while maintaining power quality and resilience.
“Across the world, data centres are increasingly critical infrastructure, and maintaining grid stability has shifted from being optional to strategic,” said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB’s Energy Industries division. “Our integrated automation, electrification and digitalisation solutions play an important role in enabling data centre growth while maintaining energy security.”
Kristina Carlquist, Head of the Synchronous Condenser Product Line at ABB’s Motion High Power division, added: “As data centres expand, synchronous condensers are seeing renewed importance for their ability to provide inertia and short-circuit strength. For VoltaGrid, they will help ensure reliable and resilient microgrid performance.”
As AI continues to drive exponential growth in data processing and storage, the need for advanced power infrastructure has never been greater. Through its collaboration with VoltaGrid, ABB is reinforcing the foundation of a more stable, efficient and resilient data centre energy network, supporting the digital transformation shaping the future of the global economy.
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