{
  "id": 15203383,
  "title": "This Hidden Device Could Free Up Gigawatts of Grid Power",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/this-hidden-device-could-free-up-gigawatts-of-grid-power",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-17T13:00:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IEEE Spectrum",
    "slug": "ieee-spectrum",
    "url": "https://spectrum.ieee.org/variable-frequency-drives"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "America's energy crisis is fueling a surge in federal and private investment in new electricity generation methods, from gas turbines to solar farms and geothermal plants. However, a vast amount of unused power lies dormant in the nation's motors, with some 50 million electric motors consuming enough electricity to meet nearly a third of the U.S. power demand. Variable frequency drives, or VFDs, can help these motors run more efficiently, yet their adoption remains low due to perceived complexity and lack of mandatory requirements. Only 16 percent of motor systems at industrial facilities and 4 percent of commercial-sector motors use VFDs, according to a 2021 report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Energy experts and manufacturers argue that it's time to harness the power of VFDs to free up grid capacity for large energy users such as data centers and electric vehicles, lower costs for factories transitioning to electrified heating systems, and curb rising industrial power prices. VFD technology has become more sophisticated and affordable in recent years, offering potential energy savings of 40 to 60 percent. Companies like Toyota have already seen significant cost savings by installing VFDs on hundreds of motors in their HVAC systems. Manufacturers, utilities, and energy-efficiency groups are collaborating on a pilot program to demonstrate the technology's benefits and encourage wider adoption, hoping to provide utilities with compelling reasons to offer rebates for industrial customers.",
  "summary": "This article was originally published by Canary Media . America’s energy supply crunch is driving a surge of federal and private investment in new electricity generation — from polluting gas turbines to cleaner developments like solar farms and geothermal plants . But gigawatts of power are already available for the taking across the U.S. economy in the form of wasted energy from an unexpected…",
  "key_points": [
    "50 million electric motors consume power equivalent to 1/3 of U.S. demand",
    "Only 16% of industrial motors and 4% of commercial motors use VFDs",
    "VFD technology offers 40-60% energy savings and potential cost reductions"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}