Balancing Reliability, Capacity, and Supply Chain in Today’s Transformer Market | Nirav Patel, YASH

52% of transformer failures trace back to one component — the bushing. So why aren’t more people asking deeper questions about what goes inside their transformers?

At the 2026 IEEE PES T&D Show in Chicago, APC Media’s Alan Ross sat down with Nirav Patel, Executive Director of Sales at YASH, for one of the most technically rich conversations of the event. Nirav brings 20 years in the transmission industry — 15 of them at YASH — and a rare ability to bridge the gap between engineering and commercial decision-making on EHV bushing solutions.

From the evolution of transformer bushing technology to YASH’s bold capacity expansion, this is the conversation every OEM and utility engineer should be having before they spec their next transformer.

Key Takeaways:

• The US electrical grid is valued at ~$3.6 trillion — yet only 1% is spent annually on replacing it, meaning it would take 100 years to fully modernize at the current pace
• Grid demand is being reshaped by three forces: renewable integration, AI-driven data center load growth, and rapid urbanization in developing nations
• Bushing technology has evolved through three generations: oil insulated → oil impregnated paper (OIP) → dry bushings (resin impregnated paper / RIP) — each step improving reliability and transformer lifespan
• A well-made OIP bushing can last 20–25 years; a dry RIP bushing is designed for 50+ — matching the expected life of the transformer itself
• 52% of transformer failures are linked to bushing problems — making bushing selection one of the highest-leverage decisions in the procurement process
• Porcelain shortages in the US are accelerating the shift to dry bushings — availability is now as important as price
• YASH is doubling capacity with a brand-new greenfield facility commissioning within months — dedicated entirely to dry bushing production
• YASH’s sustainability roadmap: solar energy covering 50% of factory power, rainwater harvesting, and a full EV infrastructure investment
• YASH’s competitive edge: independent and agile — not captive to any transformer OEM group — enabling faster response times, retrofit solutions, and support for legacy bushing designs