What is The Buildout?
We started The Buildout because we believe energy is the defining field of our generation.
Although only costing about 2% of the US GDP, electricity is the backbone of modern society. A backbone we so rarely notice until it fails us:
In February 2021, a winter storm knocked out Texas’s grid for days. At least 246 people tragically lost their lives. More than two dozen of them depended on oxygen or dialysis machines that stopped working when the power went out. Over half the state lost running water. The total damage came to as much as $130 billion, enough to pay every public school teacher in the state for six years.
In April 2025, nearly 60 million people in Spain and Portugal lost power. The city of Madrid alone ran nearly 300 rescues for people trapped in elevators. Phones stopped working and trains (literally) stopped in their tracks. Spain’s economy fell to half its normal output for the day.
About 1 in 6 American households are behind on their utility bills, and total utility debt is projected to reach roughly $25 billion by the end of 2026. Because electricity isn’t optional, families cut back on food, rent, or medicine before they cut their power. Even still, an estimated 3.5 million households had their power shut off in 2024.
For better or worse, our modern world is dependent on our energy system.
Today, electricity demand is set to grow faster than at any time since the 1970s, driven by data centers, electrification, and decarbonization, to name a few. In order to maintain this tremendous responsibility, our systems need to shift, fluctuate, and evolve. New solutions need to be introduced and implemented.
This transformation is colloquially known as the buildout.
Here at The Buildout, we write about why today’s energy system works the way it does, areas where it can be improved, and ways to pragmatically deliver those improvements.
Sincerely, we thank you for supporting our work.
— Tyler and Jacob
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely our own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of our employers or any affiliated organizations. Nothing here is investment, financial, or legal advice.
