While there are nearly 700 microgrids across the country, these systems provide less than 1% of the US’s total electricity. As natural disasters, like deadly hurricanes and wildfires, become more commonplace and AI and data centers put more strain on the grid, investing in more advanced microgrid projects becomes ever critical.  This panel will pull back the curtain on the current challenges and opportunities of microgrid development and how to catalyze investment in the coming years. This session will include investor perspectives on the macroeconomic trends driving the need for microgrids and why microgrid projects should be on every investor’s radar; steps the investment community can take to bolster investment into microgrid infrastructure for 24/7 clean energy; and ways to overcome development and financing obstacles to scale up microgrids for widespread deployment, including tackling high upfront costs. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of how to finance microgrid projects and achieve economies of scale. These takeaways will help to promote microgrid deployment across the US in the coming years.