Modern manufacturing operations require reliable, clean high-quality power that never falters for efficient performance. Production lines, process heating and cooling, steam systems, robotics and automation, HVAC, data and controls, safety systems, and core facility operations all rely on stable, continuous energy. Even momentary disturbances can disrupt throughput, damage equipment, or compromise product quality.
For precision sectors such as aerospace, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and electronics, optics/photonics, and robotics, access to reliable, high-quality power is a strategic competitive advantage.
However, the trends toward electrification, AI, and a growing digital-first population are placing strains on utility grids, threatening power reliability and access.
This article covers:
- The trends straining utility grids and the energy and requirements of manufacturing operations.
- Available power options for meeting those needs.
- Why natural-gas turbine-based Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and self-generation systems from FlexEnergy Solutions deliver a compelling economic and operational advantage.
READ MORE: FlexEnergy Solutions for Manufacturing
The High Cost of Downtime in Manufacturing
Aberdeen Strategy & Research estimated the average cost of one hour of downtime at $260,000, before pandemic era inflation. Costs vary by sector and are typically much higher in precision manufacturing and pharmaceuticals than in food and beverage.
More recently, Forbes reported in 2022 that 82% of companies have experienced at least one unplanned downtime incident over the past three years, with total annual downtime costs to industrial manufacturers at $50 billion annually.
While downtime has many causes, power loss remains a major risk, driving significant costs and straining relationships with customers and suppliers.
Energy Grid Reliability Is Getting Worse
When the grid falters, production stops, scrap and emissions rise, and profits suffer. Meanwhile, widespread electrification from vehicles to heating and appliances, along with extreme weather is increasing strain on utilities nationwide.
The Department of Energy warns that blackouts could increase by 100 times in 2030 if the U.S. continues to shutter reliable power sources and fails to add additional firm capacity.
– U.S. Department of Energy, July 7, 2025
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) found that the rush to electrification is placing stress on the nation’s power infrastructure. DOE warns that if current power plant retirement schedules and incremental capacity additions remain unchanged, most regions will face unacceptable reliability risks within the next five years. Under these conditions, the nation’s electric grid will be unable to meet the rapidly growing demand from AI, data centers, manufacturing, and re-industrialization while keeping electricity affordable for American households and businesses.
Trends in Energy Strategy for Manufacturing
Six major trends are impacting how manufacturers evaluate their energy strategies. The table below summarizes these trends and why they matter.
| Trend / Issue | Why it Matters to Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Growing electricity demand and grid constraints | More competition for power, potential outages, and cost increases. |
| Power reliability & quality issues | Direct impact on uptime, productivity and equipment performance. |
| Energy cost volatility | Operational competitiveness and planning uncertainty. |
| Sustainability and decarbonization | Regulatory pressures and ESG commitments reshape energy sourcing. |
| AI and smart energy technologies | Tools to improve energy efficiency and integration of renewables. |
| Distributed energy and microgrids | More control over power, resilience gains. |
Every operation faces a unique set of challenges largely depending on location and process type.
Reliable, Self-Generation Power Solution Options for Manufacturing Plant Uptime
Combined Heat and Power (CHP), also called cogeneration, directly addresses many of the power challenges manufacturers are facing by changing how energy is produced and used at the plant level. Instead of buying electricity from the grid and generating thermal energy separately, CHP produces both from a single fuel source, dramatically improving efficiency and resilience.
Importantly, self-generation and CHP systems offer manufacturers a way to significantly increase power reliability and mitigate the risk of unexpected downtime. The table below summarizes the primary power options available for manufacturers, including their pros and cons.
| Power Source | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Utility Grid Connection | • No on-site fuel logistics • Access to large-scale power | • Increasingly unreliable during peak events • High and rising electricity costs • Long timelines for new service/upgrades • Exposed to outages, voltage fluctuations |
| Diesel Generator Sets (Backup Only) | • Familiar, widely available • Useful for emergency backup | • Not suitable for primary power • High emissions • Expensive fuel • Increasing regulatory restrictions |
| Natural Gas Reciprocating Engines (CHP-Capable) | • CHP-capable • Moderate capex | • Higher NOₓ and CO emissions than turbines • More maintenance due to many moving parts • Reduced efficiency at partial loads |
| Natural Gas Turbines / Modular CHP Microgrids | • Ideal for CHP (very efficient) • Extremely high uptime • Low emissions • Independence from the grid • Fast deployment • Scalable 200 kW to multi-MW | • Requires thermal-integration planning for CHP • May need gas conditioning • Higher initial capex offset by OPEX savings |
In summary, CHP systems powered by natural gas turbines deliver:
- High reliability with 24/7 operation delivering clean, high-quality power.
- Greater energy cost resilience and reduced volatility from peak-demand charges, ratchets, and time-of-use penalties.
- Clean power from low emissions for minimizing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions to meet corporate ESG initiatives.
- Significantly lower emissions (NOₓ) than reciprocating gensets, both diesel and natural gas.
- Quiet, efficient operations.
- Ability to “Right-Size” and scale with seasonal fluctuations, expansions, production shifts, or thermal-load variances.
Why FlexEnergy Solutions’ CHP Gas Turbines for Self-Generation Stand Out
Fuel Flexibility and Reliability.
The Flex Turbine® from FlexEnergy Solutions is engineered for consistent performance and ultra-high reliability across a wide range of gas conditions. For industrial customers using pipeline gas, biogas, digester gas, or flare-mitigation gas, this flexibility simplifies project planning and improves uptime.
CASE STUDY: CHP for Precision Medical Manufacturing – Applied Medical Resources
A True CHP Workhorse. CHP is where the Flex Turbine delivers enormous economic benefit. Capturing turbine exhaust heat allows Commercial and Industrial operators to support:
- Process heat
- Steam generation
- Hot-water loops
- Absorption chillers
- District energy systems
Many facilities achieve overall efficiencies of 70–80%, significantly higher than grid power plus boiler systems.
Emissions Leadership. CHP can provide the same energy services using approximately one-third less fuel than would be required by a conventional generator and boiler. Over 70% efficiency for typical cogeneration applications at ISO conditions.
Importantly, the Flex Turbine operates cleaner than utility grids. For instance, according to the most recent eGRID data for 2023, the CAMX grid serving California emits 0.392 pounds of NOx per MWh annually – nearly double the 0.210 pounds per MWh generated by the Flex Turbine.
READ MORE: FlexEnergy Solutions Secures CARB Recertification of GT333S Flex Turbine
The chart below illustrates 2023 NOx emissions for U.S. utility grids as compared to the Flex Turbine.
For organizations with ESG goals, carbon-reduction plans, and/or permitting constraints, a Flex Turbine powered CHP system delivers major compliance and sustainability advantages.
Extreme Uptime and Proven Reliability. The Flex Turbine fleet had demonstrated 99%+ mechanical availability, backed by an enviable track record of more than 4 million runtime hours.
Advantages:
- Only one eight-hour scheduled maintenance interval annually.
- We are the OEM with service support available regionally – no middleman for fast problem resolution.
- Fewer moving parts (compared to reciprocating engines) means less maintenance, fewer breakdowns, and more uptime.
Rapid Deployment and Grid independence. Many manufacturing plant projects face multi-year delays for electrical upgrades, transformer additions, or new substation construction. FlexEnergy turbine CHP systems can be deployed in weeks, not years – delivering immediate relief from grid constraints.
Scalable and Modular: FlexGrid Microgrids. Beyond single-unit deployment, we offer the FlexGrid microgrid solution:
- For existing facilities: supplement or island from the utility to improve resilience.
- For new projects: build a custom, scalable CHP microgrid aligned with facility expansion.
Our FlexGrid microgrids can scale up from 200kW to ~10 megawatts, as needed.
READ MORE: FlexEnergy Solutions Cogeneration Solutions Page
Flex Turbine® Product Options
- GT333S Microturbine (approximately 333 kW) – suited for smaller manufacturing operations, facilities, and distributed R&D campus loads requiring CHP.
- GT2000S Gas Turbine Generator (Siemens-powered) – up to ~2 MW for larger operations, district-energy systems, central plants, and manufacturing campuses needing multi-MW CHP.
The FlexEnergy Difference
For facilities striving for resilient, cost-effective, and sustainable energy, FlexEnergy Solutions delivers:
- Reliable, continuous power independent of long-grid-connection delays
- Very low emissions compared to both grids and reciprocating engines
- Fuel flexibility (biogas, renewable natural gas, wellhead gas, pipeline gas, etc.)
- High uptime, minimal maintenance
- Scalable modularity and rapid deployment
- Long-term OEM service and support
If you are building a new plant, or if your existing operation is struggling with rising electricity rates, reliability issues, sustainability mandates, or aging boilers and thermal systems, a FlexEnergy turbine-based CHP solution deserves serious consideration.
Don’t let grid unreliability hit your productivity or bottom line. Take control with a resilient, efficient, low-emissions CHP strategy – and keep your operation running at peak performance.
Call FlexEnergy Solutions today at +1 (720) 826-0708 or contact us online to schedule a CHP strategy consultation.