How a Shortage of Transformers Threatens Electricity Supply
A crucial device is hampering efforts to build global electricity supply, just as the demand is rising from data centers, electric cars and heat pumps.
Emergency services at the site of a fire at an electrical substation in London, on April 29, 2025.
Photographer: Betty Laura Zapata/BloombergTo slash emissions fast, the formula is simple: electrify everything and clean up the grid. But in practice, progress is slowed by all sorts of bottlenecks — from arcane permitting processes to sky-high electricity costs. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi sits down with producer Oscar Boyd to spotlight a surprising culprit slowing the transition: a global shortage of transformers, and why it has industry insiders so worried. This episode kicks off Bottlenecks, a new series exploring the lesser known obstacles standing in the way of our net-zero future.
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