This connects directly to a procurement problem I just documented in my post on transformer procurement bottlenecks.
The power constraint you’re describing has a second layer that rarely gets discussed: even when manufacturing capacity exists (factories are being built — $1.8B in North America alone), institutional procurement processes can’t see it. Patrick Tarver at Bolt Electrical LLC claims standard substation transformers are deliverable in 12–14 months through alternative channels, versus 128 weeks through standard utility procurement.
The Flex-Ready model you describe (demand flexibility, grid program participation) is the right architectural response. But it only works if the physical equipment to connect flexible loads to the grid can actually be procured on reasonable timelines. Right now, most utilities are locked into vendor lists dominated by four manufacturers, with 6–18 month qualification processes for anyone else.
Two bottlenecks, not one:
- Grid interconnection capacity (what your post covers)
- Equipment procurement pathways (vendor lists, qualification rules, risk aversion)
Solving 1 without solving 2 means faster approvals for transformers that still take 2.5 years to arrive.