Mobile Power Arrives as Grid Delays Stall U.S. Electrification

LIVERMORE, CA – January 06, 2026 – A critical bottleneck in America's aging power grid is forcing industries to wait years for the electricity needed to expand, but a new partnership aims to sever that logjam with a novel solution: power on wheels. Coulomb Solutions Inc. (CSI), a provider of commercial battery systems, announced it has supplied a 2.33 megawatt-hour (MWh) mobile Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to Critical Loop, a microgrid specialist founded by engineers from SpaceX, Palantir, and Tesla. The collaboration seeks to provide immediate, on-demand power to businesses stalled by multi-year delays for grid upgrades, effectively creating a high-voltage bridge to bypass the nation's infrastructure deficit.

The deal highlights a growing crisis for the U.S. economy. As demand from data centers, electric vehicle charging networks, and manufacturing hubs skyrockets, the grid's capacity to deliver power has failed to keep pace. This partnership between a hardware innovator and a software-driven energy orchestrator represents a significant move toward decentralized, agile power delivery in an era defined by grid constraints.

The Multi-Year Waiting Game

The claim of a two-year wait for electrical service upgrades, once a startling figure, now appears conservative. Across the United States, a massive backlog of energy projects is stuck in what are known as interconnection queues. Recent data from national labs reveals that the typical project now waits an average of five years for approval to connect to the grid, a stark increase from just three years in 2015. By the end of 2023, nearly 12,000 power projects were waiting for their turn, with the vast majority being zero-carbon solar and battery storage installations.

For power-hungry sectors, the situation is even more dire. In high-demand data center markets like Northern Virginia, the wait for new grid connections can stretch to seven years. This 'power crunch' directly threatens the growth of the digital economy, particularly the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, which requires immense computational and electrical resources. Logistics hubs and companies transitioning their commercial fleets to electric vehicles face similar hurdles, where plans for multi-megawatt charging depots are indefinitely shelved, not by a lack of capital or ambition, but by the simple inability to get enough power from the local utility.

This delay creates a significant economic drag, preventing businesses from expanding operations, creating jobs, and investing in cleaner technologies. The grid, once a silent enabler of progress, has become a formidable barrier.

'Green Energy ToGo': A Mobile Power Plant

In response to this crisis, CSI has developed its "Green Energy ToGo" series of mobile BESS units. The system delivered to Critical Loop is a self-contained power plant on a trailer, packing 2.33 MWh of energy capacity and a 1 MW inverter—enough to power a large DC fast-charging station or supplement a manufacturing facility's needs. Unlike stationary battery systems, these units are engineered for the rigors of frequent transportation.

"We are very excited to be working with Critical Loop to help bridge the gap in charging infrastructure," said David Mazaika, CEO of Coulomb Solutions Inc. "CSI's 'Green Energy ToGo' mobile BESS units will help Critical Loop supply reliable temporary power for manufacturing facilities, EV charging, data centers, and other applications where electric grid capacity has become a bottleneck."

At the heart of the system are advanced Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries from CATL, the world's largest battery manufacturer. LFP chemistry is prized for its long lifespan and enhanced safety profile, being less prone to the thermal runaway events that can affect other lithium-ion chemistries. Reinforcing this focus on safety, the entire system has passed the rigorous UL 9540A test, a critical standard for evaluating fire safety in battery storage systems. An integrated thermal management system allows the BESS to operate reliably in extreme temperatures ranging from -10 to 50 degrees Celsius, making it suitable for deployment across the country.

The Intelligence Layer: Software-Driven Microgrids

While the mobile battery provides the muscle, Critical Loop delivers the intelligence. The company, which has raised $13.5 million to date, doesn't simply rent out hardware; it deploys and manages sophisticated, on-demand microgrids. By integrating CSI's mobile BESS with its proprietary smart switchgear and orchestration software, Critical Loop can manage power flow, predict demand, and optimize energy use for its clients.

This "batteries-as-a-service" model provides a turnkey solution for businesses that need power immediately. Critical Loop's software acts as the brain of the operation, seamlessly coordinating the mobile battery with any available grid power and on-site generation to ensure a reliable and efficient supply.

"Critical Loop is excited to deploy the CSI mobile BESS in conjunction with our state-of-the-art smart switchgear, microgrid controller, and orchestration software," stated Bala Ramamurthy, CEO of Critical Loop, Inc. "Platforms like CSI mobile BESS provide unique construction for reliable battery transportation which allow us to deploy microgrids on-demand to serve urgent customer needs."

This software-centric approach, born from the expertise of engineers accustomed to solving complex problems at SpaceX and Tesla, is what elevates the solution from a simple generator replacement to a dynamic energy management tool. It allows companies to not only bridge the power gap but also to gain insights into their energy consumption and prepare for a more electrified future.

A New Paradigm for Energy Delivery

The market for mobile and temporary power is expanding rapidly, driven by grid instability and the accelerating pace of electrification. The partnership between Coulomb Solutions and Critical Loop is indicative of a broader shift away from a complete reliance on a centralized, static grid. As the demand for electricity continues to outpace the development of traditional infrastructure, such flexible, deployable energy solutions are becoming essential tools for economic continuity and growth.

For industries caught in the gridlock, these mobile power systems offer more than just a temporary fix; they provide a pathway to begin operations, scale up EV fleets, and build out data centers years ahead of schedule. As this technology matures and becomes more widespread, it may fundamentally reshape how industries plan for and consume energy, creating a more resilient and decentralized power landscape that is better equipped to handle the demands of the 21st century.