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Podcast Episode

Elon's Former Battery Chief: AI Data Centers Will Make Electricity Cheaper

Gradient Dissent: Conversations on AI·Lukas Biewald·20 August 2026·1h 34m

About this episode

Can today's power grid handle the explosive growth of AI data centers? Tesla Alum Drew Baglino, now founder & CEO of Heron Power, doesn't think so.In this episode, he joins Lukas Biewald to talk about why scaling compute requires a fundamental overhaul of grid-to-chip infrastructure, not just bigger power plants.They cover how Heron Power raised $140M to cut power losses in half, shrink massive oil-filled transformers by 100x, and unlock 35MW of extra compute for every gigawatt data center, and what that means for the future of AI energy efficiency.Connect with us here:Drew BaglinoHeron PowerLukas BiewaldWeights and Biases