Microgrids – small, decentralised power hubs that use local sources of energy – have long been touted as a solution to the problem of ageing national grids, which are becoming increasingly prone to cyber attacks, blackouts and inefficiencies where power is consumed far from where it is produced. Despite their potential, uptake has been patchy, so microgrids have yet to capture the public imagination. But AI technology is helping to turn them into viable hyper-local projects that can serve global carbon-reduction ambitions. Rotterdam is the location of Europe's largest seaport. Since August 2020, it has also been home to what's understood to be the world's first high-frequency, decentralised energy market, where port users share and sell clean energy.