Ex-Tesla Exec Raises $140M to Cut AI Data Center Power Losses
Gradient Dissent (W&B) · rss · 2026-08-18
Drew Baglino, Tesla's former battery chief and founder of Heron Power, discussed the grid challenges posed by AI data centers with Lukas Biewald. Baglino argued that the current power grid cannot handle the explosive growth of AI compute. Heron Power raised $140M to overhaul grid-to-chip infrastructure, aiming to cut power losses in half, shrink oil-filled transformers by 100x, and unlock 35MW of extra compute per gigawatt data center. The episode explores the future of AI energy efficiency and the necessary infrastructure upgrades.
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