Globally, energy investment is expected to hit a record $3.3 trillion in 2025. Most of that money is going toward renewables, nuclear power, grid upgrades, energy storage and efficiency improvements. At the same time, with the rise of artificial intelligence, data centers have become one of the biggest forces pushing the energy industry to evolve. In response to this shift, operators are building their own energy systems, adding battery storage and adjusting how and when they use electricity.

Across the U.S., CDM Smith is working toward cleaner, more reliable energy. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, the firm is supporting a renewable- powered microgrid that connects the city’s water and wastewater facilities using floating solar, natural gas generation and biogas fueled heat and power. In Massachusetts, CDM Smith is helping Eversource build a first of its kind utility thermal energy network (UTEN) power an existing neighborhood. Because the historic rise in demand has called for a kitchen-sink approach to energy supply and delivery, our energy teams are also working with clients at the forefront of major transmission projects, like the Champlain Hudson Power Express, one of several transmission initiatives aimed at bringing renewable energy to the places that need it most.

And, as mentioned in the Energy Source previously, industry analysts have referred to the 2020s as the “Decade of Energy Storage.” The Department of Energy (DOE) has established its own Energy Storage Division and has even built a Grid Storage Launchpad in the Pacific Northwest to advance battery research. Oversees, CDM Smith has been pioneering new ways to store energy, including the Grid Booster in Kupferzell, Germany, the largest known battery storage system of its kind.

For more information on any of these trends, and to start preparing for the road ahead, reach out to our energy team at CDM Smith.

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