Bentley’s Power Line Systems Positioned to Help Address U.S. Electricity Shortage

• Proeksa Meas
• 4 October 2026
• Construction Focus
• 650 Views

The United States is facing a growing electricity shortage as demand from artificial intelligence data centers and broader electrification puts increasing pressure on the nation’s aging power grid. Bentley Systems estimates that the country could need an additional 35 gigawatts of capacity by 2030 to support AI data centers alone.

At the center of efforts to expand and modernize the grid is Power Line Systems (PLS), a Bentley Systems company specializing in software for designing and analyzing electricity transmission infrastructure. According to Bentley CEO Nicholas Cumins, PLS software is used in the design of nearly every new transmission line worldwide and is becoming increasingly important as utilities invest in grid expansion and resilience.

A major challenge in the U.S. is not engineering but permitting, which can delay transmission projects for years or even a decade. PLS tools can help engineers and regulators evaluate alternative routes, environmental impacts and costs more quickly. Digital visualization can also show communities what proposed transmission infrastructure would look like, potentially helping address public concerns.

PLS is also incorporating artificial intelligence into its engineering software through Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. The technology allows AI assistants to interact with engineering applications and access engineering data using natural-language instructions. Bentley recently introduced MCP servers for several PLS products.

Beyond designing new infrastructure, PLS technology can help utilities prepare for extreme weather. Its software can model power lines and simulate storms to identify structures that could fail before severe weather strikes. AI and drone data are increasingly helping engineers build these detailed models at larger scales.

With electricity demand rising rapidly and the U.S. grid requiring major investment, Bentley believes PLS is well positioned to support the next generation of power infrastructure by combining engineering software, digital modeling and AI.

• Bentley
• AI
• Bentley Systems
• MCP
• PLS