GoKawiilUnderused motor devices could unlock gigawatts of spare U.S. grid capacity
Roughly 50 million electric motors powering fans, pumps and compressors across U.S. factories and buildings consume nearly a third of the country's electricity, often far more than necessary. Variable frequency drives (VFDs) can cut that waste, but a 2021 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report found only 16 percent of industrial motor systems and 4 percent of commercial ones use them, largely due to installation hassle and lack of mandates.