Grid Constraints Are Features, Not Bugs
The grid doesn't scale linearly. Neither does the thinking required to work with it.
When I started working on EV charging infrastructure, I assumed grid constraints were problems to solve. More capacity, more chargers, more throughput. The math seemed simple.
It wasn't.
The Capacity Illusion
Most operators look at a site and see kilowatts. They calculate peak demand, add a safety margin, and submit interconnection requests. What they miss is that the grid operates in four dimensions: space, time, voltage, and politics.
Space is obvious — where do the wires go? But it's also about transformer locations, substation capacity, and the physical geography of electrons flowing through copper.
Time matters because the grid isn't static. That 500kW you requested might be available at 2 AM but impossible at 5 PM. Demand curves, renewable generation patterns, and seasonal variation all intersect.
Voltage is where things get technical. Not all power is created equal. Phase balance, power factor, harmonics — these aren't just engineering concerns, they're constraints that determine what's actually possible.
Politics — yes, politics — determines who gets access to capacity and when. Utilities have competing priorities. Regulators have mandates. The neighbor who filed a complaint about the construction noise has a vote too.
Working With Constraints
The shift happened when I stopped seeing constraints as obstacles and started seeing them as design parameters.
A 150kW site limit isn't a failure — it's a specification. What can you build within that envelope? Often, more than you'd think.
Smart load management can deliver the same customer outcomes with half the peak power. Dynamic pricing can shift demand to off-peak hours when the grid has headroom. Battery storage can buffer the mismatch between what you want and what the grid can give.
These aren't workarounds. They're features.
The Operator Mindset
The operators who succeed in this space share a common trait: they're comfortable with complexity that doesn't resolve into simple answers.
They understand that "it depends" isn't a hedge — it's the honest answer to most questions about infrastructure. They build systems that adapt to constraints rather than fight them.
And they know that the grid, like any complex system, rewards patience and penalizes impatience.
This is the first in a series on infrastructure realities. Next: why protocol standardization is both harder and less important than you think.