Trench Technology Showcase at IEEE 2026

The race to build America’s 765 kV backbone is on — and one 130-year-old company is betting its Charlotte factory on winning it. A single 765 kV line carries six times the power of a 345 kV line, and the demand from AI data centers isn’t waiting for anyone.

At the 2026 IEEE PES T&D Show in Chicago, APC Media’s Alan Ross sat down with Trench Group’s entire leadership team — CEO Dr. Bahadir, Chief Sales Officer Klaus Merklein, and Chief Technology Officer Peter Dopplmair — to unpack why 50% of Trench’s new orders are now destined for North America, and what their new Charlotte, NC dry-type bushing facility means for the U.S. transformer supply chain.

From HVDC experience across India and Brazil to 4,000+ units at 800 kV globally, Trench is bringing decades of high-voltage know-how to a grid that’s being reshaped by hyperscalers who demand speed, scale, and reliability.

In this interview:

• The three forces reshaping the U.S. grid: modernization, 765 kV backbone buildout, and the AI data center power surge
• Trench’s Charlotte factory went from decision (Feb 2025) to soft opening (Feb 2026) in 12 months — grand opening set for July 2026
• A 765 kV line transports as much power as six 345 kV lines — the efficiency math driving the buildout
• Hyperscalers are now direct customers, changing procurement speed and forcing traditional utilities to adapt
• The “hockey stick” challenge: electrical stress grows exponentially — not linearly — with voltage, making decades of experience non-negotiable
• 4,000+ Trench units already in service at 765-800 kV worldwide, with 50 years of U.S. high-voltage installations since the 1970s
• HSP dry-type bushing technology — described by a major transformer manufacturer as “the best bushing technology you have ever seen” — is now being produced in Charlotte
• Trench operates across three product lines: bushings, instrument transformers (CVTs), and coils/reactors — all three supporting the 765 kV buildout
• The Toronto facility continues producing shunt reactors for voltage control, complementing Charlotte’s bushing production