JST Power Equipment and IONATE Launch Hybrid Intelligent Transformers to Address U.S. Grid Constraints and Data Center Growth

February 2, 2026

Strategic partnership targets power quality and reliability risks in outdated infrastructure and enables AI-era loads.

February 2, 2026, San Diego, CA – IONATE and JST Power Equipment announce their collaboration to bring the Hybrid Intelligent Transformer (HIT) to the U.S. market. This technology is designed to give industrials, data centers, and grid operators greater control over increasingly volatile power flows.

The Pressure on U.S. Power Systems

U.S. data-center electricity demand is expected to more than double by 2030, reaching up to 9% of total national electricity use. At the same time, grid reliability is at risk, as sensitive load growth outpaces upgrades to an aging network.

Power-quality issues such as voltage instability and harmonics are becoming more frequent, costing the U.S. economy between $150–250 billion annually through lost production, equipment damage, and unplanned downtime, according to research by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). 

As AI adoption and electrification accelerate, failure to upgrade core power infrastructure further threatens reliability, productivity, and economic performance – particularly in industries that depend on high-quality, uninterrupted power, like large-scale manufacturing and data centers.

A New Building Block

IONATE’s Hybrid Intelligent Transformer combines the robustness of conventional transformers with the dynamism of solid-state systems, delivering an all-in-one upgrade at the substation level. A Swiss-army knife for power management, the HIT unlocks capabilities that have historically required multiple standalone devices.

Beyond stepping voltage up or down, HITs provide:

Monitoring & visibility: Real-time, kilohertz-level data on power conditions

System stability: Stepless voltage regulation, and phase balancing

Power quality & efficiency: Simultaneous mitigation of voltage and current harmonics, four-quadrant reactive power control

These capabilities allow operators to protect sensitive loads, prevent power-quality-driven failures, increase energy efficiency, and strengthen operational resilience – all within the footprint and fail-safe architecture of a standard transformer. No substation redesign required.

Industrial-Scale Manufacturing Meets AI-Powered Grid Tech

The partnership brings together JST’s trusted, large-scale transformer manufacturing expertise with IONATE’s proprietary hybrid power-electronics and AI-enabled control technology. As part of the collaboration, JST will manufacture and bring to market transformers integrating IONATE’s technology.

The collaboration marks the commercialization of IONATE’s HIT technology, moving from early deployments with utilities and power users to full commercial availability. Pilot units are already under live evaluation with leading industrial and energy partners, and volume production will begin at JST’s North American facilities, including Wytheville, VA.

The first 3 MVA, 34.5kV- and 13.2kV-rated Hybrid Intelligent Transformers will be available to US customers in the second half of 2026.

Executive Perspective

Jeanne Li, Director of Business Development at JST Power Equipment, said:

“JST is pleased to partner with IONATE in bringing an important new capability to the US market. As power systems evolve and infrastructure demands grow, customers are seeking solutions that improve reliability without forcing a complete overhaul of their existing assets. The Hybrid Intelligent Transformer provides a practical, immediately deployable option that fits directly into today’s transformer footprints, allowing operators to strengthen power quality and system resilience while transitioning at their own pace. By combining JST’s manufacturing expertise with IONATE’s innovative technology, we’re supporting grid operators, data centers, and other power‑sensitive users as they modernize responsibly and address emerging power‑quality challenges.”

Matthew Williams, CEO of IONATE, said:

“JST is a trusted manufacturer with deep transformer expertise, gigawatts of manufacturing capacity, and an ability to deliver at pace. That combination makes them an ideal partner as we bring HITs to the US market.

We’re seeing strong pull from industrial players and data-centre operators who need more than passive power infrastructure; they need smart operations optimized for efficiency and robustness. Together, we’re not just introducing a new product – we’re setting a new standard for how power systems are built and operated.”

For interviews with IONATE’s CEO or JST’s Executive Vice President, technical briefings, or pilot deployment details, contact:

Luca Mezossy-Dona – luca@ionate.energy

Jennifer Burkhardt – jburkhardt@jstpower.com

About JST

JST Power Equipment is a global manufacturer of electrical power solutions, serving utilities, renewable energy, data centers, and industrial customers across North America, Asia, and Europe. With over 30 years of experience and 200,000+ transformers delivered, we design and build high‑quality equipment that supports the reliability, safety, and efficiency of modern power systems.

About IONATE

IONATE is building the hardware-software backbone for smart electricity grids, transforming traditional transformers into intelligent, controllable system nodes. Its Hybrid Intelligent Transformer, combined with AI-enabled software, turns rigid power networks into flexible, efficient, and resilient platforms fit for the energy transition.