In this episode of The Green Insider, host Mike Nemer welcomes back Tom Cornell, President & CEO of Prevalon (now CEO of Energy Storage, Nextpower following the acquisition).
Tom discusses Prevalon’s rapid growth over the past two years, expanding from 35 employees to over 110, and breaking down the company’s $300M+ acquisition by Nextpower. He offers deep insights into how Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are essential to stabilizing energy loads for the booming AI and data center industries, shifting storage needs from simple energy shifting to critical power stabilization.
Key Discussion Points
- Prevalon’s Growth & Acquisition: Reflecting on Prevalon’s trajectory over the last two years, expanding its team threefold and joining Nextpower as a wholly-owned subsidiary to expand its global footprint.
- The Role of BESS in Data Centers & AI: Explaining how large language models (LLMs) and AI inference create rapid, transient load changes (up to 70% fluctuations in under 10 milliseconds) and why hybrid power stabilizers are needed to buffer the grid.
- Global Supply Chains & Manufacturing: How tax incentives (IRA/ITC) and global supply chain shifts have allowed battery technology to migrate away from heavy reliance on China toward diversification across Asia, Europe, and North America.
- Future Outlook: Expansion plans into Europe, Australia, and Latin America over the next two years, along with the evolving policy landscape around energy storage investment tax credits.
Featured Guest
- Tom Cornell – CEO, Energy Storage, Next Power (formerly President & CEO, Prevalon)
- Press Release
Episode Resources
- Learn more about eRenewable: eRenewable.com
