Power infrastructure startup Alderbuck Energy has announced that it will deploy a solid-state transformer at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at UC San Diego, as part of a California Energy Commission-funded project testing high-voltage DC power architecture for AI data centers.The company will deploy its Nexus Power Unit, which is a medium-voltage solid-state transformer that consolidates multiple pieces of conventional grid equipment into a single modular system. This, the company claims, cuts project capital costs by 20-30 percent, reduces physical footprint by a similar margin, shortens construction timelines by 30-50 percent, and offers up to four percent higher energy efficiency.The project, which has been dubbed “Accelerating Grid-Interactive, Flexible Data Centers in California," intends to generate operational field data on how medium-voltage DC infrastructure handles the power demands of high-density AI compute. It will seek to evaluate a 12kV AC-to-800VDC architecture against conventional 480V AC data center power systems.Prior to the deployment, the transformer will undergo factory testing and hardware-in-the-loop simulation at DERConnect, UC San Diego's $42 million NSF-funded testing facility, using AI workload profiles to validate the system before deployment."SDSC has been advancing compute infrastructure for decades, and the shift to 800 VDC will be one of the most significant architectural changes we'll see in the years ahead," said Brian Balderston, director of infrastructure and data centers for SDSC's research data services division. "The Nexus Power Unit demonstration at SDSC helps show us what that future looks like in practice.""This deployment is designed to show how medium-voltage-to-800 VDC power infrastructure can help operators bring high-density compute capacity online faster while maintaining the reliability data centers require," said Kimberly McGrath, chief strategy officer at Alderbuck Energy.As part of the project, the partners will also develop a flexible load-capacity planning tool for California policymakers and utilities, covering AI data centers, EV fast charging, and industrial customers. Partners include San Diego Gas & Electric, data center orchestration software firm EmeraldAI, and the Good For Others Foundation. The project will also include a workforce development component focused on high-power, grid-interactive data center operations.Alderbuck Energy is a US-based power infrastructure startup developing solid-state transformer technology for data centers and EV charging infrastructure.