How Radiant and Heron Are Rethinking Power Generation and Delivery

April 1, 2026

Here's something that caught my attention — Doug Bernauer of Radiant and Drew Baglino of Heron are reimagining how we power the country. Instead of just focusing on building bigger power plants, they’re zeroing in on the real bottleneck: delivery. Imagine portable micro nuclear reactors and solid-state power electronics making energy more flexible and reliable. According to content+a16zpodcast@a16z.com, Erin Price-Wright and Erik Torenberg talk with these founders about modular manufacturing, which means faster, more scalable energy solutions. But here’s where it gets fascinating — data centers, often seen as energy guzzlers, might actually help the grid if done right. And get this — delivering energy efficiently could be the game-changer we’ve been waiting for. As Bernauer and Baglino point out, transforming our energy infrastructure isn’t just about generating power anymore; it’s about smarter, more modular delivery systems. And honestly, that could totally reshape how we think about powering the future.

a16z general partners Erin Price-Wright and Erik Torenberg speak with Doug Bernauer, founder and CEO of Radiant, and Drew Baglino, founder and CEO of Heron, about rebuilding American energy infrastructure. They discuss portable micro nuclear reactors, solid state power electronics, why delivery rather than generation is the real bottleneck, the case for modular manufacturing, and whether data centers are actually good for the grid.

Resources:

Follow Doug Bernauer on X: https://twitter.com/DougBernauer

Follow Drew Baglino on X: https://twitter.com/baglino

Follow Erin Price-Wright on X: https://twitter.com/espricewright

Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

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Audio Transcript