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Andrew Baglino

Former SVP of Powertrain & Energy Engineering, Tesla

Search every verified Andrew Baglino interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Andrew Baglino, founder and CEO of Heron Power and former Tesla executive, has been discussing the challenges of modernizing the U.S. electrical grid and critical mineral supply chains. In a May 2026 appearance on the podcast Critical Capital, Baglino argued that the aging hardware of the electric grid, such as transformers and cables, is a major bottleneck for the clean energy transition, independent of the source of generation. He said that the electricity sector needs to grow by 300% to 500% to support a sustainable energy economy, and described solid-state transformers as a technology that could free up supply chains, such as grain-oriented electric steel, for other electrification needs. Baglino also said that cash flow cycles and project delays are significant inhibitors to the ramp rate of new energy infrastructure. Speaking on a separate a16z podcast in May 2026, Baglino stated that the U.S. is "50 years behind on critical mineral supply" and "too slow at designing, building, and ramping up new minerals capacity." He advocated for durable industrial policy and a "federal highway trust fund for the grid" to coordinate infrastructure buildout and co-located supply chains. Baglino also expressed support for leveraging U.S.-based silicon carbide technology for domestic manufacturing, arguing that failing to do so would cede the benefits of the technology to other countries.

Selected quotes

Recent appearances

  • Critical Capital - The clean energy transition has a hardware problem, ft. Drew Baglino

    May 26, 2026 · 📺 Crux Climate

    he electric grid is under pressure from every direction: surging demand from AI data centers, electrification, utility-scale renewables, and new industrial loads. But according to Drew Baglino, one of the biggest constraints isn’t generation, it’s the aging hardware that moves electricity across the system. In this episode, Alfred Johnson sits down with Drew Baglino, founder and CEO of Heron Power and former Tesla executive, to discuss why power electronics have become critical bottlenecks in the clean energy transition. After nearly two decades at Tesla leading powertrain, charging, and ener…

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  • The Founders Who Left Tesla to Rebuild America | a16z

    May 13, 2026 · 📺 a16z

    Erin Price-Wright speaks with Turner Caldwell and Drew Baglino about what it will take to close America's critical minerals gap and modernize the power infrastructure that underpins the AI economy. With the US more than 50 years behind China in critical mineral supply and grid infrastructure built on systems designed a century ago, they examine where the real bottlenecks are and how to move faster. The conversation covers how automation, reinforcement learning, and vertically integrated operations can compress the timelines for mining and refining, and why co-locating supply chains matters mo…

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  • The rise of grid power electronics with Drew Baglino

    February 19, 2026 · 📺 Latitude Media

    For decades, the physical equipment underpinning the electric grid has remained largely unchanged: passive, "dumb" devices installed as far back as the 1970s that lack much real-time control. But today, in the face of skyrocketing energy demand, a new class of technologies has emerged. In this episode, Drew Baglino, the founder and CEO of Heron Power, returns to the show to discuss his company’s new generation of solid-state transformers, or SSTs. After a 17-year career at Tesla — where he led energy and powertrain development — Drew is now focused on replacing the grid’s aging infrastructu…

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  • Ex-Tesla Leader Baglino Raises $140M for Next-Gen Grid

    February 18, 2026 · 📺 Bloomberg Technology

    Energy startup Heron Power has raised a $140 million Series B to build a 40-gigawatt US manufacturing facility for its advanced electrical equipment. Heron’s CEO Drew Baglino discusses the demand coming from renewable power and AI data center projects. He joins Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.” -------- Like this video? Subscribe to Bloomberg Technology on YouTube:    / @bloombergtechnology     Watch the latest full episodes of "Bloomberg Technology" with Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow here:    • Bloomberg Technology With Caroline Hyde an...     Get the latest in tech from Silicon Valley and…

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  • Drew Baglino on Tesla’s Master Plan

    June 03, 2024 · 📺 Latitude Media

    Tesla’s Master Plan Part 3 (https://www.tesla.com/ns_videos/Tesla...) lays out the company’s model for a decarbonized economy — and makes the case for why it's economically viable. It outlines a vision for extensive electrification and a reliance on wind and solar power.  In this episode, Shayle talks to one of the executives behind the plan, Drew Baglino, who was senior vice president for powertrain and energy at Tesla until April when he resigned (https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/15/tesla...) . In his 18 years at Tesla he worked on batteries, cars, and even Tesla’s lithium refinery. Shayle an…

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  • Stanford Energy Solutions Week 2022 | Firside Chat with Drew Baglino

    May 03, 2022 · 📺 KhalidTheeb

    Tuesday May 3, 2022. Drew Baglino, Senior Vice President of Powertrain and Energy Engineering for Tesla, sits down for a conversation with Yi Cui, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Director of the Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy and Will Chueh, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy, to share his experiences and what excites him in the energy storage space.

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  • Tesla Insider: Scale - Battery - Mining - Lithium - Drew Baglino

    June 04, 2022 · 📺 Warren Redlich - Tesla, Technology and Thailand

    Tesla CTO Drew Baglino spoke at a Stanford conference on energy storage. Baglino went in depth on how Tesla and others will ...

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  • Tesla Battery Day

    September 22, 2020 · 📺 Tesla

    Event Chapters: 0:00 - 2020 Company Update and Year-In-Review 33:30 - Battery Day Keynote 1:31:27 - Plaid Model S 1:32:46 - Q&A

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  • Mr. Drew Baglino shares a Talanoa Story

    October 11, 2018 · 📺 COP23fj

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