Economist. Dad. Chief Strategy and Regulation Officer, @nationalgrid. President, @ngpartners_
London
Joined January 2011
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Here’s a terrific illustration of how startup technology at utility scale can speed critical infrastructure - boosting the economy while cutting costs.
Infrastructure planning is getting a serious upgrade. 🌍
Our portfolio company @sensat_ai is working with @nationalgrid in the UK, and the results speak for themselves.
Watch how they're doing it on this week’s #MeetUsMonday!👇
Terrific read here - so many good things happening for Varun and our portfolio company @EmeraldAi_
Cleantech veteran @vsiv hopes to "turn AI energy crisis on its head" axios.com/2025/11/03/varun-s… via @axios
Stephen Harle Smith retweeted
Lisa Weiland tells the crowd storm-related outages in Massachusetts are down 30% thanks to @aidashinc. 🙌🏻
One of the great things about the NextGrid Alliance is that utilities from around the world get to share perspectives on the future of energy. Enjoyed this read from my teammate Xena.
Our latest blog from Xena Li explores key insights from a recent @ngalliance_ working group, featuring perspectives from National Grid, FortisBC, and ENGIE on the future of gas in our transforming energy landscape. ngpartners.com/stories/the-e…
Very exciting startup here – with the potential to move 10X as much power through existing rights of way. Keep an eye on them.
It's VEIR's turn in the spotlight! 🌟
Welcome to the #MeetUsMonday stage, Tim Heidel, co-founder and CEO of VEIR —the portfolio company that's making high-voltage transmission cooler. Literally. ❄️⚡
Check out what they’ve been up to. 🎥
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Our portfolio company @tsconductorcorp is changing the game. Their AECC (Aluminum Encapsulated Carbon Core) technology can double or triple transmission capacity on existing towers. It's like upgrading from dial-up to fiber optic - but for power lines! 🔌
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Spanish officials say they've tracked down the cause of one of Europe's biggest power outages. Could the same thing happen in your community? Read @scharlesmith's thoughts: linkedin.com/pulse/resilienc… via @LinkedIn
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Our own Gerard Kelly, vice president of Innovation and Venture Acceleration, will be among the business leaders on hand tonight when @NVIDIA kicks off #LondonTechWeek with the first U.K. Sovereign AI Industry Forum: blogs.nvidia.com/blog/uk-ai-…
Stephen Harle Smith retweeted
“AI can now see a thunderstorm before it forms.”
That’s not hype. That’s what Tomorrow.io is doing—today.
The @FT just featured us in a deep dive on how generative AI is rewriting the rules of weather forecasting 🌍⚡
Why it matters:
→ Climate extremes are accelerating
→ Legacy models can’t keep up
→ AI is the new frontline for resilience
Tomorrow.io’s tech is helping governments, militaries, and industries stay ahead—by minutes, miles, and lives.
Full article here: okt.to/jOGSNb
What do you think the biggest impact of AI on weather will be in the next 5 years?
Very exciting potential in this startup's technology.
The grid needs a revolution, not just an upgrade. ⚡ @VEIR_Grid’s superconducting tech moves more power with less new infrastructure—game-changing for energy.
Read more in @WSJ: bit.ly/3FVQeMT.
I've said before that LineVision's technology is -- to paraphrase Arthur C. Clarke -- as close to magic as anything I've seen in my 30 years in the utility industry.
This episode of @_LatitudeMedia's #GreenBlueprint podcast explores @LineVisionCo’s evolution from pilot project to full deployment, highlighting growing utility industry trust in #GridEnhancingTechnology. 🌍🔋Tune into the conversation. 🎧 bit.ly/4jshbXd
Stephen Harle Smith retweeted
Clean energy needs a modern grid. @tsconductorcorp's breakthrough tech boosts transmission without costly new infrastructure . ⚡🚀
Watch Jason Huang’s TED Talk on how next-gen conductors are reshaping the grid: bit.ly/4hMlP0U
Stephen Harle Smith retweeted
All month long, we're celebrating the trailblazing women who transformed the energy landscape against all odds. From the first female electrical engineers to solar pioneers and powerline workers, women have been lighting the way forward for generations.
Our thoughts are with Andre’s family. He was a brilliant colleague who was instrumental in the success of National Grid Partners.
The @ngpartners_ team was excited to welcome @nationalgrid’s senior leaders to Silicon Valley. We believe the fastest way to ensure our industry can support the rise of #AI while providing reliable, affordable energy for all is to combine #startup innovation with utility scale.++
2/ Many thanks to the CEOs of @LineVisionCo, @tsconductorcorp and our newest portfolio company, @VEIR_Grid, for making the trip and telling our leadership more about the #innovations they’re developing and deploying on Grid’s networks.
You're going to see exciting things from this startup.
It’s an exciting day when we can welcome another portfolio company to National Grid Partners! 👏Let’s introduce you to @VEIR_Grid - the company making high-voltage transmission cooler. Literally. ❄️⚡Head on over to their website to learn more: veir.com/
Stephen Harle Smith retweeted
In the wake of the Great Recession, Courtney Geduldig (aka @derbymaple) co-wrote a well-received book about #startups. This week, she and other senior @nationalgrid leaders are in Silicon Valley for a deep dive into the #innovation ecosystem. So we asked her... +++
The NextGrid Alliance is a critical part of scaling startup innovation across the global utility industry. The team’s put together some great topics and speakers for this event.
Excited for our 2025 kickoff! Hundreds of senior leaders from 70+ utilities are signed up to discuss hot topics like Grid Modernization and Accelerating Innovation in the AI Era. To learn how the Alliance is speeding the energy transition, visit ngalliance.energy.”
