RALEIGH, N.C. — Hitachi Energy announced plans for a new $10 million USD Power Electronics Center of Competence in Cary, North Carolina, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening the North American power grid. Scheduled for inauguration in the fall of 2026, the 32,000‑square‑foot state‑of‑the‑art facility will create 150 new jobs and significantly expand local engineering, testing, and system integration capabilities, accelerating the delivery of solutions to help utilities and developers meet surging electricity demand.
The investment was celebrated during an on-site event with the U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. The visit highlighted the ongoing construction at the site, and workforce development and hiring plans, all underscoring the strategic importance of expanding domestic power electronics capabilities to deliver reliable power faster and more affordably.
The expansion in North Carolina is part of Hitachi Energy’s historic $1 billion USD investment in U.S. manufacturing announced in 2025, which includes the expansion of several facilities and a new large power transformer factory in South Boston, Virginia. It also aligns with the company’s strengthened service capabilities through its investment in Shermco. Together, these efforts reinforce domestic supply chains, increase access to essential grid technologies, and improve the company’s ability to support customers quickly through localized capabilities at a time when reliable, high‑quality electricity is becoming central to economic growth and energy security.
Rapid AI data center expansion, industrial electrification, integration of new energy sources, and population growth continue to put unprecedented strain on the grid. U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow 35–50 percent until 20401, while Canada’s demand is forecast to increase 62 percent by 20502, signaling a region-wide step change in power needs.
The Power Electronics Center of Competence will bring deep domain expertise and advanced operational capabilities together in one location, while building a highly skilled local workforce close to customers. By localizing design, performance validation, and the deployment of standardized, modular solutions, the center will help utilities and developers add more power to the grid quickly, reduce congestion, improve voltage stability, and operate grids more safely and reliably.
“We are in the ‘age of electricity,’ where demand is growing faster and the grid has become the new frontline of energy security. As AI data centers reshape consumption patterns and electrification accelerates across industries, this new center will strengthen our ability to respond quickly with localized expertise, helping customers maintain grid stability, resilience and reliability.” ~ Marco Berardi, SVP and Head of Grid & Power Quality Solutions and Service, Hitachi Energy
The Center will support Hitachi Energy’s power electronics technologies, including STATCOMs, Fixed Series Compensation (FSC), Synchronous Condenser Systems (SCS), and advanced grid control devices. These solutions enable customers to increase transmission capacity without building new power lines, while enhancing the stability and resilience of large, complex electrical networks.
In addition, the facility will serve as Hitachi Energy’s global hub for advanced cybersecurity offerings, helping operators protect critical infrastructure in an increasingly sophisticated digital threat landscape. By integrating secure‑by‑design system architectures, continuous monitoring, and rapid incident-response capabilities, the center strengthens customers’ ability to safeguard across the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) environments within grid connection solutions. Combined with its engineering expertise in power quality, high-voltage direct current (HVDC), and grid-stabilizing systems, the center will equip utilities to modernize their infrastructure while maintaining secure, resilient operations.
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