Researchers and companies are developing solid-state transformers that swap much of the heavy steel and copper wire in conventional designs for high-power semiconductors. The new devices are more compact and give operators finer control over how electricity flows, and they could ease supply shortages.
Nearly every watt you use passes through transformers, and their basic design hasn't changed in about a century. With demand rising from data centers and EVs, and conventional units in short supply, a faster-to-build, more controllable alternative could help keep the grid from becoming the bottleneck that limits growth.
✦ The humble transformer, unchanged for a century, may finally be getting its upgrade.