{"id":283226,"date":"2025-12-29T12:00:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T18:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/?p=283226"},"modified":"2025-12-29T12:49:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T18:49:47","slug":"north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/","title":{"rendered":"North Texas AI Startup Joins Microsoft, NVIDIA in Global Power Consortium Focused on How We \u2018Make, Move, and Use Electricity\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

KYRO AI, a Plano-based company that builds AI software used by utilities and construction teams to manage field operations, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Electric Power Research Institute to participate in the Open Power AI Consortium, founder and CEO Hari Vasudevan said.
\n<\/strong>
\nThe global consortium, announced in March 2025 at NVIDIA GTC, brings together utilities, technology companies, and researchers working to apply AI to how electricity is generated, transmitted, and managed as demand accelerates. The Open Power AI Consortium, or OPAI for short, launched with backing from major utilities including Duke Energy, Exelon, and Southern California Edison, according to EPRI.<\/p>\n

Exelon CEO Calvin Butler, whose company is a member of the consortium, recently described the sector as facing a \u201cconvergence\u201d of forces\u2014AI-driven power demand, data center expansion, manufacturing onshoring, and broader electrification of the economy.<\/p>\n

Butler told Fortune the grid’s “check engine light is on<\/a>,” comparing the current state to a vehicle being driven to the brink of failure. “I’ve been in the utility industry for about 25 years … and probably the last four decades we have never had a moment of this amount of load growth,” he said.<\/p>\n

The consortium is governed by an executive advisory committee of senior leaders from more than 20 energy companies, including Southern California Edison, CPS Energy, and Westinghouse Electric Company, alongside technology firms such as Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, AWS, according to EPRI.<\/p>\n

KYRO is the only Texas-based technology firm with a formal partnership in the consortium, Vasudevan told Dallas Innovates. He said the role gives the company a chance to contribute field-tested experience as utilities figure out how to handle what\u2019s coming.<\/p>\n

“As AI drives unprecedented demand for power, it’s equally important that AI helps make the grid more reliable, resilient, and affordable,” Vasudevan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

KYRO\u2019s focus, he added, is practical innovation using AI to help utilities modernize how they respond to storms, reduce wildfire risk, and manage vegetation and construction more safely and efficiently.<\/p>\n

\"\"

[Image: Courtesy KYRO AI]<\/p><\/div>\n

Solutions tailored to the electricity industry<\/h3>\n

The consortium is developing open-source Al models and building a sandbox environment to test Al applications, according to EPRI. The work focuses on specific problems utilities face, including grid reliability and cost control.<\/p>\n

EPRI\u2014the Palo Alto-based Electric Power Research Institute\u2014is the power sector’s nonprofit research and development organization, an industry consortium founded in 1972 that brings together utilities, tech companies, and researchers to develop grid solutions. EPRI operates a regional office in Irving that serves as a meeting and training center for members and partners.<\/p>\n

“Over the next decade, AI has the great potential to revolutionize the power sector by delivering the capability to enhance grid reliability, optimize asset performance, and enable more efficient energy management,” EPRI President and CEO Arshad Mansoor said in a March 2025 statement announcing the consortium.<\/p>\n

The group is developing domain-specific large language models<\/a> trained on EPRI’s proprietary energy and electrical engineering data, NVIDIA said in a March announcement. The models are designed to help utilities streamline operations, boost energy efficiency, and improve grid resiliency. The focus is to “transform the way we make, move, and use electricity.”<\/p>\n

The work could cut the timeline for interconnection studies, which analyze the feasibility of connecting new generators to the existing electric grid. The process can take up to four years, but the consortium aims to cut that timeline by at least five times, according to NVIDIA. The AI model could also support preparation of licenses, permits, environmental studies, and utility rate cases.<\/p>\n

Beyond releasing datasets and models, the consortium plans to develop standardized benchmarks. Utilities and researchers would use them to evaluate AI performance and reliability, NVIDIA said.<\/p>\n

What KYRO brings
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"\"

Hari Vasudevan, founder and CEO of KYRO AI [Courtesy photo]<\/p><\/div>\n

Founded in Plano in 2021, KYRO builds software for the people who physically keep power and infrastructure running\u2014from utility crews to construction teams. The platform connects field activity with back-office decision-making, Vasudevan said.<\/p>\n

In practice, that means turning real-time photos, notes, GPS data, and asset information into decisions: which neighborhoods to prioritize after a storm, which spans of line to clear ahead of wildfire season, or which job-site risks need immediate attention, according to the company.<\/p>\n

Vasudevan, a licensed engineer with a background in civil infrastructure, brings direct operating experience\u2014and perspective\u2014to the consortium. Years ago at his previous company, Think Power Solutions, a single-digit error in field data nearly cost the business $10 million. “That’s one of the reasons why KYRO was born,” he said on his “From Boots to Boardroom” podcast<\/a>, “because I realized that many [other well-run] companies had the same issue.”<\/p>\n

That experience became the foundation for connecting data to executive decisions. “We recognized the importance of the field to office connectivity, and we bridged that gap<\/a>,” he said. “We solved the problem.”<\/p>\n

Field-tested during major storms<\/h3>\n

KYRO’s software has supported utility partners during major weather events, according to the company. After Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, KYRO said its platform was deployed<\/a> through a field-services partner to support Duke Energy’s restoration efforts. Crews used it to coordinate mutual-aid teams, track damage with drone imagery, and manage invoicing during the recovery.<\/p>\n

In Texas, Oncor has used the platform through partners to speed storm damage assessments, according to KYRO. In a blog post, the company said those efforts included completing an impact assessment<\/a> and recovery plan within 24 hours in Colorado City. And after severe flooding in Corsicana, engineers reviewed geotagged aerial images remotely<\/a>. The approach reduced the need for ground crews to enter hazardous areas, KYRO said.<\/p>\n

Scaling the grid\u2014and shielding customers<\/h3>\n

Beyond contributing field operations expertise to the consortium, Vasudevan\u2014a Dallas Innovates AI 75 honoree<\/a>\u2014has been calling for closer collaboration between utilities and the hyperscalers driving the surge in power demand.<\/p>\n

In an op-ed published last week in Energy Intelligence, he wrote that \u201cthe electricity grid is about to reach a breaking point from an operational and financial standpoint,\u201d as AI workloads and data centers push demand faster than infrastructure can respond. Data center\u2013driven power demand rose 22%<\/a> across the U.S. this year alone and could triple by 2030, he wrote.<\/p>\n

The strain, he warned, is already showing up in less visible ways. Permitting delays are \u201cracking up hidden costs for ratepayers to the tune of tens of billions of dollars,\u201d even as utility bills climb. Cutting permitting timelines by just one year could unlock roughly $22 billion in returns on infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n

Vasudevan described the moment as a \u201cwake-up call\u201d for the sector requiring utilities, technology companies, and regulators to rethink how the grid scales under pressure.<\/p>\n

“Alarm bells are ringing,” he wrote. But, he contends, the way forward lies in partnership.<\/p>\n

He supports a co-development model in which utilities and hyperscalers such as Microsoft, OpenAI, Meta, Amazon, and Google work together on adaptive load-management agreements. In that model, he wrote, the capital risk for new power capacity sits with hyperscalers, not customers, while utilities remain responsible for grid reliability and oversight.<\/p>\n

What’s next for KYRO and OPAI<\/strong><\/h3>\n

That view helps explain why Vasudevan is participating in the Open Power AI Consortium, where utilities and technology companies are working with researchers in a shared testing environment to develop and validate open AI models for real-world grid operations.<\/p>\n

Over the coming months, Vasudevan said KYRO plans to contribute its AI-driven field workflows\u2014drawn from storm response, damage assessment, and daily utility operations\u2014to help OPAI’s models reflect how work actually happens on the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf AI is part of the problem on the demand side,\u201d Vasudevan told Dallas Innovates, \u201cit has to be part of the solution on the reliability side too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Don’t miss what’s next. Subscribe\u00a0to\u00a0Dallas\u00a0Innovates.<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Track Dallas-Fort Worth’s business and innovation landscape with our curated news in your inbox Tuesday-Thursday.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
One quick signup, and you’re done.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plano\u2019s KYRO AI is the only Texas technology company in EPRI\u2019s Open Power AI Consortium, joining tech leaders and utilities working to develop open-source AI models for the power sector. The effort is backed by major energy companies, including Exelon, whose CEO recently warned the grid\u2019s \u201ccheck engine light is on\u201d as electricity demand surges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":283243,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,15],"tags":[208580,10044,208576,208577,208572,208573,208575,179678,208571,631,14342,2954,208574,3275,208578,179679,208579],"class_list":["post-283226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-enterprise","category-startup","tag-arshad-mansoor","tag-aws","tag-calvin-butler","tag-duke-energy","tag-electric-power-research-institute","tag-epri","tag-exelon","tag-hari-vasudevan","tag-kyro-ai","tag-microsoft","tag-nvidia","tag-oncor","tag-open-power-ai-consortium","tag-oracle","tag-southern-california-edison","tag-think-power-solutions","tag-westinghouse-electric-company"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNorth Texas AI Startup Joins Microsoft, NVIDIA in Global Power Consortium Focused on How We \u2018Make, Move, and Use Electricity\u2019 » Dallas Innovates<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Open Power AI Consortium, launched by EPRI in March, is an industry initiative focused on applying AI to the energy sector. The timing? Data center power demand jumped 22% this year and is forecast to triple by 2030.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"North Texas AI Startup Joins Microsoft, NVIDIA in Global Power Consortium Focused on How We \u2018Make, Move, and Use Electricity\u2019\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Open Power AI Consortium, launched by EPRI in March, is an industry initiative focused on applying AI to the energy sector. The timing? Data center power demand jumped 22% this year and is forecast to triple by 2030.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dallas Innovates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dallasinnovates\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-29T18:00:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-29T18:49:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Electricity-Station-iStock-866415556.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"970\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"464\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Quincy Preston\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@quincypreston\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@dallasinnovates\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Quincy Preston\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Quincy Preston\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#\/schema\/person\/31d96a1ad48d703a6b72c03a291cd710\"},\"headline\":\"North Texas AI Startup Joins Microsoft, NVIDIA in Global Power Consortium Focused on How We \u2018Make, Move, and Use Electricity\u2019\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-29T18:00:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-29T18:49:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/\"},\"wordCount\":1344,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Electricity-Station-iStock-866415556.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Arshad Mansoor\",\"AWS\",\"Calvin Butler\",\"Duke Energy\",\"Electric Power Research Institute\",\"EPRI\",\"Exelon\",\"Hari Vasudevan\",\"KYRO AI\",\"Microsoft\",\"Nvidia\",\"oncor\",\"Open Power AI Consortium\",\"Oracle\",\"Southern California Edison\",\"Think Power Solutions\",\"Westinghouse Electric Company\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Business\",\"Startup\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/\",\"name\":\"North Texas AI Startup Joins Microsoft, NVIDIA in Global Power Consortium Focused on How We \u2018Make, Move, and Use Electricity\u2019 » Dallas Innovates\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Electricity-Station-iStock-866415556.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-29T18:00:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-29T18:49:47+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Open Power AI Consortium, launched by EPRI in March, is an industry initiative focused on applying AI to the energy sector. The timing? Data center power demand jumped 22% this year and is forecast to triple by 2030.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Electricity-Station-iStock-866415556.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Electricity-Station-iStock-866415556.jpg\",\"width\":970,\"height\":464,\"caption\":\"[Image: Bubball\/istockphoto]\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"North Texas AI Startup Joins Microsoft, NVIDIA in Global Power Consortium Focused on How We \u2018Make, Move, and Use Electricity\u2019\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/\",\"name\":\"Dallas Innovates\",\"description\":\"What's new + next in Dallas - Fort Worth\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Dallas Innovates | Published by Dallas Next\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Dallas-Innovates-logo-purple.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Dallas-Innovates-logo-purple.jpg\",\"width\":1782,\"height\":410,\"caption\":\"Dallas Innovates | Published by Dallas Next\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dallasinnovates\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/dallasinnovates\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dallasinnovates\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/dallas-innovates\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#\/schema\/person\/31d96a1ad48d703a6b72c03a291cd710\",\"name\":\"Quincy Preston\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a7b6237fd07da03813670ac36e1677b49e7d53f115936e2c32e5eb4a63a263e3?s=96&d=retro&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a7b6237fd07da03813670ac36e1677b49e7d53f115936e2c32e5eb4a63a263e3?s=96&d=retro&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Quincy Preston\"},\"description\":\"Quincy Preston is fueled by an entrepreneurial spark and driven by mission. Preston launched the Dallas Innovates' media platform to tell the story of innovation in Dallas-Fort Worth. It was official in 2016 when the Dallas skyline turned purple for innovation. Since then, Dallas Innovates has become a must-read among business leaders and forward thinkers in North Texas. \\\"Our partners call us 'the tip of the spear for innovation news in North Texas,'\\\" she says. \\\"Now it's our tagline.\\\" The media-with-a-mission brand covers what's new and next in North Texas business. \\\"Our lens is lift,\\\" Preston says. \\\"We want to inspire ideas and opportunity. We're a catalyst for connections, here and beyond.\\\" Covering the Dallas-Fort Worth Innovation Economy \\\"Dallas-Fort Worth has all of the core assets that drive an innovation economy,\\\" Preston told D CEO about the launch. \\\"We felt Dallas Innovates could be the center of innovation in business in DFW, from startup to enterprise, and include all the great impact work happening here.\\\" One of our superpowers is our diverse economy: \\\"A lot of places want one thing to hang their hat on, but DFW has many centers of innovation,\\\" she noted. \\\"And the fact that small businesses can work with very large companies here as a Fortune 50 market is a huge advantage.\\\" Preston founded media company Dallas Next in 2021 and publishes Dallas Innovates in a collaboration with the Dallas Regional Chamber. DRC innovation and research chief Duane Dankesreiter and Dallas Innovates co-founder says it's \\\"the drumbeat\\\" for the innovation economy in the region. Dallas Next also publishes the DALLAS\u00ae publications in partnership with the DRC. Dallas Innovates' sister publications include the DALLAS\u00ae Regional Economic Development Guide, the DALLAS\u00ae Relocation + Newcomers Guide, and the\u00a0DALLAS\u00ae Commercial Real Estate, which is a partnership with the DRC and The Real Estate Council. \\\"It's hard to say no to Quincy Preston when she believes in something,\\\" wrote D CEO Editor Christine Perez in the magazine. \\\"She won't stop until she makes it happen.\\\" In a previous role at D Magazine Partners, Preston incubated Dallas Innovates and published the DRC's brand publications. There, she also led the launch of D Healthcare Daily at D CEO and the launch of D TV. Preston developed data solutions to provide insights and measurement for growth across D Magazine Partners brands. Preston has worn many hats in her media career, including stints as a writer, photographer, and award-winning designer. During her long tenure at the Dallas Business Journal, Preston managed budgets, project schedules, resources, and talent; she also developed several cost-saving and income-producing initiatives that were adopted across the ACBJ chain of more than 40 newspapers. Preston's first editorial job was working for a fashion magazine at the Dallas Apparel Mart with an office a few doors down from Lucy Billingsley, daughter of legendary real estate developer Trammell Crow. At the time, Billingsley was running the market center where she led three expansions and a ~7 million-square-foot development. It was good company to be in. Later, when Preston launched an agency that she ran through the early nineties, Billingsley helped her with tough-but-kind advice\u2014and some pivotal connections. Today, Preston helms Dallas Innovates and the DALLAS\u00ae publications group, published by Dallas Next for the Dallas Regional Chamber. The growing DALLAS\u00ae platform includes sister publication Dallas Innovates. Together they focus on Dallas-Fort Worth business, including real estate, relocation, economic development, and innovation. Connect on social media: LinkedIn, Twitter\u00a0 Send news and tips here.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.dallasinnovates.com\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/quincypreston\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/author\/quincy-preston\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"North Texas AI Startup Joins Microsoft, NVIDIA in Global Power Consortium Focused on How We \u2018Make, Move, and Use Electricity\u2019 » Dallas Innovates","description":"The Open Power AI Consortium, launched by EPRI in March, is an industry initiative focused on applying AI to the energy sector. The timing? Data center power demand jumped 22% this year and is forecast to triple by 2030.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"North Texas AI Startup Joins Microsoft, NVIDIA in Global Power Consortium Focused on How We \u2018Make, Move, and Use Electricity\u2019","og_description":"The Open Power AI Consortium, launched by EPRI in March, is an industry initiative focused on applying AI to the energy sector. The timing? Data center power demand jumped 22% this year and is forecast to triple by 2030.","og_url":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/","og_site_name":"Dallas Innovates","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dallasinnovates\/","article_published_time":"2025-12-29T18:00:33+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-29T18:49:47+00:00","og_image":[{"width":970,"height":464,"url":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Electricity-Station-iStock-866415556.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Quincy Preston","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@quincypreston","twitter_site":"@dallasinnovates","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Quincy Preston","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/"},"author":{"name":"Quincy Preston","@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#\/schema\/person\/31d96a1ad48d703a6b72c03a291cd710"},"headline":"North Texas AI Startup Joins Microsoft, NVIDIA in Global Power Consortium Focused on How We \u2018Make, Move, and Use Electricity\u2019","datePublished":"2025-12-29T18:00:33+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-29T18:49:47+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/"},"wordCount":1344,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Electricity-Station-iStock-866415556.jpg","keywords":["Arshad Mansoor","AWS","Calvin Butler","Duke Energy","Electric Power Research Institute","EPRI","Exelon","Hari Vasudevan","KYRO AI","Microsoft","Nvidia","oncor","Open Power AI Consortium","Oracle","Southern California Edison","Think Power Solutions","Westinghouse Electric Company"],"articleSection":["Business","Startup"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/","url":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/","name":"North Texas AI Startup Joins Microsoft, NVIDIA in Global Power Consortium Focused on How We \u2018Make, Move, and Use Electricity\u2019 » Dallas Innovates","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Electricity-Station-iStock-866415556.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-29T18:00:33+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-29T18:49:47+00:00","description":"The Open Power AI Consortium, launched by EPRI in March, is an industry initiative focused on applying AI to the energy sector. The timing? Data center power demand jumped 22% this year and is forecast to triple by 2030.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Electricity-Station-iStock-866415556.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Electricity-Station-iStock-866415556.jpg","width":970,"height":464,"caption":"[Image: Bubball\/istockphoto]"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/north-texas-startup-joins-microsoft-nvidia-and-utilities-in-open-power-ai-consortium-to-transform-how-we-make-move-and-use-electricity\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"North Texas AI Startup Joins Microsoft, NVIDIA in Global Power Consortium Focused on How We \u2018Make, Move, and Use Electricity\u2019"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/","name":"Dallas Innovates","description":"What's new + next in Dallas - Fort Worth","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#organization","name":"Dallas Innovates | Published by Dallas Next","url":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Dallas-Innovates-logo-purple.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Dallas-Innovates-logo-purple.jpg","width":1782,"height":410,"caption":"Dallas Innovates | Published by Dallas Next"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dallasinnovates\/","https:\/\/x.com\/dallasinnovates","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dallasinnovates\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/dallas-innovates"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#\/schema\/person\/31d96a1ad48d703a6b72c03a291cd710","name":"Quincy Preston","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a7b6237fd07da03813670ac36e1677b49e7d53f115936e2c32e5eb4a63a263e3?s=96&d=retro&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a7b6237fd07da03813670ac36e1677b49e7d53f115936e2c32e5eb4a63a263e3?s=96&d=retro&r=g","caption":"Quincy Preston"},"description":"Quincy Preston is fueled by an entrepreneurial spark and driven by mission. Preston launched the Dallas Innovates' media platform to tell the story of innovation in Dallas-Fort Worth. It was official in 2016 when the Dallas skyline turned purple for innovation. Since then, Dallas Innovates has become a must-read among business leaders and forward thinkers in North Texas. \"Our partners call us 'the tip of the spear for innovation news in North Texas,'\" she says. \"Now it's our tagline.\" The media-with-a-mission brand covers what's new and next in North Texas business. \"Our lens is lift,\" Preston says. \"We want to inspire ideas and opportunity. We're a catalyst for connections, here and beyond.\" Covering the Dallas-Fort Worth Innovation Economy \"Dallas-Fort Worth has all of the core assets that drive an innovation economy,\" Preston told D CEO about the launch. \"We felt Dallas Innovates could be the center of innovation in business in DFW, from startup to enterprise, and include all the great impact work happening here.\" One of our superpowers is our diverse economy: \"A lot of places want one thing to hang their hat on, but DFW has many centers of innovation,\" she noted. \"And the fact that small businesses can work with very large companies here as a Fortune 50 market is a huge advantage.\" Preston founded media company Dallas Next in 2021 and publishes Dallas Innovates in a collaboration with the Dallas Regional Chamber. DRC innovation and research chief Duane Dankesreiter and Dallas Innovates co-founder says it's \"the drumbeat\" for the innovation economy in the region. Dallas Next also publishes the DALLAS\u00ae publications in partnership with the DRC. Dallas Innovates' sister publications include the DALLAS\u00ae Regional Economic Development Guide, the DALLAS\u00ae Relocation + Newcomers Guide, and the\u00a0DALLAS\u00ae Commercial Real Estate, which is a partnership with the DRC and The Real Estate Council. \"It's hard to say no to Quincy Preston when she believes in something,\" wrote D CEO Editor Christine Perez in the magazine. \"She won't stop until she makes it happen.\" In a previous role at D Magazine Partners, Preston incubated Dallas Innovates and published the DRC's brand publications. There, she also led the launch of D Healthcare Daily at D CEO and the launch of D TV. Preston developed data solutions to provide insights and measurement for growth across D Magazine Partners brands. Preston has worn many hats in her media career, including stints as a writer, photographer, and award-winning designer. During her long tenure at the Dallas Business Journal, Preston managed budgets, project schedules, resources, and talent; she also developed several cost-saving and income-producing initiatives that were adopted across the ACBJ chain of more than 40 newspapers. Preston's first editorial job was working for a fashion magazine at the Dallas Apparel Mart with an office a few doors down from Lucy Billingsley, daughter of legendary real estate developer Trammell Crow. At the time, Billingsley was running the market center where she led three expansions and a ~7 million-square-foot development. It was good company to be in. Later, when Preston launched an agency that she ran through the early nineties, Billingsley helped her with tough-but-kind advice\u2014and some pivotal connections. Today, Preston helms Dallas Innovates and the DALLAS\u00ae publications group, published by Dallas Next for the Dallas Regional Chamber. The growing DALLAS\u00ae platform includes sister publication Dallas Innovates. Together they focus on Dallas-Fort Worth business, including real estate, relocation, economic development, and innovation. Connect on social media: LinkedIn, Twitter\u00a0 Send news and tips here.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.dallasinnovates.com","https:\/\/x.com\/quincypreston"],"url":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/author\/quincy-preston\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/283243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}