ChampionNews

California’s energy grid is hitting a wall, and a Long Beach-based startup believes it has the surgical intervention required to keep the lights on for the state’s most power-hungry industries. Critical Loop announced today it has raised $26 million in new funding—bringing its total capital to $49 million—to deploy modular, container-sized battery systems that bypass the years-long wait times for traditional utility substation upgrades. By allowing industrial facilities, logistics hubs, and data centers to intelligently shift between public grid power and on-site storage, the company is effectively creating a private energy bypass, providing a critical stopgap for the state's surging electricity demand. Key Highlights Funding Milestone: Critical Loop closed a $26 million funding round led by Conifer Infrastructure Partners and Hanover, targeting the deployment of its containerized power management technology. The 'Patch' Concept: Unlike long-term grid upgrades that take years, Critical Loop’s modular units can be deployed in...