But, according to Greg Yurek, American Superconductor's boss, it will be a third of the weight of its conventional alternative.

ECONOMIST: Superconductors are starting to become useful

Greg Yurek, the head of American Superconductor and a former professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, argues that recent trends have increased the instability of the grid and highlighted the need for this sort of technology.

ECONOMIST: ENERGY: Building the energy internet | The