Episode Details

Speed to power: Bala Ramamurthy of Critical Loop on cutting grid connection from years to days with modular microgrids. 

Speed to power is the problem Critical Loop was built to solve. Bala Ramamurthy is the founder and CEO of Critical Loop, a California modular microgrid company that brings megawatts to industrial facilities and data centers when a utility interconnection is years away. Before energy, Bala spent 12 years at SpaceX as chief engineer on the first human spaceflight mission, and he applies that same high-reliability systems thinking to the grid. 

This conversation covers how their Cygnus controller orchestrates batteries and on-site generation to close the gap between what a utility can deliver and what a site needs. Tim pushes Bala on the hard questions: whether Critical Loop competes for scarce batteries, and why a site like San Diego International Airport needs them at all. It matters now because load growth is outpacing what the grid can build.

Here is what this conversation reveals about closing the gap between grid capacity and industrial demand:

• How do you power a 20-megawatt site when the utility offers seven?
• Why does a rocket engineer see the grid as the same problem as a launch?
• What does Critical Loop's Cygnus controller actually do on site?
• When does a temporary bridge microgrid become a permanent asset?
• Why does San Diego International Airport need Critical Loop at all?
• What keeps a founder up at night as load growth outpaces the grid?

Critical Loop is betting that the fastest way to add power is not to build more grid, but to orchestrate what a site already has. Bala Ramamurthy makes the case that a controller, batteries, and on-site generation can close the gap between what a utility delivers and what a factory or data center needs, turning a years-long interconnection wait into weeks.

For anyone building, financing, or powering industrial load right now, this conversation is a look at how speed to power becomes a business. 

Connect with Guest:

Balachandar Ramamurthy | LinkedIn 

Critical Loop Website 

Support the show

Connect with Tim  

Clean Power Hour 
Clean Power Hour on YouTube
Tim on Twitter
Tim on LinkedIn 

Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com 

Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email:  CleanPowerHour@gmail.com

Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems.  Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com