One of the nicest comments people have made about the electrical grid was … nothing. The grid works best when it fades into the background.  That low-profile status has changed in recent years as fires in California and freezes in Texas raised awareness of the electrical grid. But it was in 2025, when the electrical grid — and concerns about demand, supply, pricing, and the strain on natural resources — moved into the spotlight. And a new batch of startups have emerged with a software-as-a-solution pitch. Electricity rates are up 13% in this U.S. this year driven by an AI boom that has seeped into unlikely places, including repurposing supersonic jet engines for data center duty and working on beaming solar power down from space. And that pace of growth isn’t expected to slow; the amount of electricity data centers use is projected to nearly triple in the coming decade. That forecast has fueled consumer frustration around pricing and drawn the ire of environmental groups that have called for a nationwide moratorium on new projects. Utilities, …