America’s energy system is at a pivotal moment. Advanced manufacturing, electrification, the reshoring of critical industries, and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence are all increasing demand for reliable electricity. Meeting that demand requires reforms to expand grid capacity, accelerate modernization and grid utilization, and ensure ratepayers reap the benefits of innovation without sacrificing affordability.
91快活林’s energy policy platform, Powering Growth Now: Recommendations to Accelerate an Affordable, Reliable Grid, lays out near-term, actionable recommendations to unlock the full potential of the grid sooner with the deployment of modern grid tools, while longer-term generation and transmission improvements, supported by crucial permitting reforms, continue to advance.
We are glad to see the Administration and Congress taking this issue seriously. The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy Subcommittee recent hearings focused on the power grid, transmission, and energy affordability help to spotlight and reinforce the urgency of this work. The message from policymakers is clear: America can and must power technological innovation and economic development while at the same time protecting customers from hidden cost shifts. To do so, policymakers must work with industry to modernize power sector planning, encourage cost-effective grid technologies, and remove barriers to faster deployment of both infrastructure and non-wires solutions.
Modern Grid Tools Can Deliver Capacity Faster
The deployment of proven technologies can unlock more capacity, improve system performance, and reduce long-term costs. 91快活林 supports the Affordable Innovation for the Grid Act, Advanced Transmission Technology to Reduce Rates Act, and High-Capacity Grid Act (H.R. 6633). Together, these bills will help accelerate the use of modern grid technologies, including AI-enabled operating tools, advanced transmission technologies, and high-capacity conductors.
The grid of the future must also be more dynamic, data-driven, and efficient. AI-enabled tools can help operators better understand system conditions, manage risk, and optimize the resources already connected to the grid. Advanced transmission technologies and high-capacity conductors can increase transfer capability, reduce congestion, and make better use of existing rights-of-way. 91快活林 also supports the REWIRE Act (S. 3947) because it would accelerate near-term grid capacity by incentivizing modern transmission upgrades, expanding funding flexibility, building collaboration opportunities to evaluate grid performance, and sharing best practices through a national clearinghouse. These solutions can help utilities and grid operators meet rising demand while reducing operating costs by billions of dollars. Regulators should consider non-wires alternatives before approving major capital upgrades when these tools can deliver capacity faster and cheaper.
Federal, state, and utility leaders have an important role to play in identifying cost-effective solutions, reducing duplicative analysis, and helping proven technologies move from pilot projects to broader deployment. Among other things, the Department of Energy (DOE) should help coordinate and lead this partnership with implementation playbooks, technical support for utilities and regulators, public-private partnerships, and faster pathways for deploying grid-enhancing technologies and reconductoring. We applaud DOE’s recent announcement opening applications for funding for reconductoring and other advanced transmission technologies that will expand reliable, affordable energy transfer between regions.
Better Load Forecasting Is Essential to Affordability
As energy demand grows, accurate load forecasting is critical to protecting ratepayers. Overbuilding infrastructure can saddle consumers with unnecessary costs, while underbuilding can undercut economic growth, strain reliability, and slow the deployment of emerging technologies.
91快活林 supports the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act because better forecasting is essential to ensuring that utilities, regulators, and large customers can plan for growing electricity demand with greater precision. More accurate forecasting can help reduce the risk of unnecessary capital spending and support the integration of new demands in ways that maintain and improve grid reliability and affordability.
Improving load forecasting and the use of software in forecasting and interconnection studies, and greater transparency around grid cost drivers can help regulators evaluate utility investments more effectively, improve the accuracy of grid planning assumptions, and ensure that consumers are protected from avoidable costs associated with overbuilding or inefficient infrastructure investments.
Congress Should Advance a Practical Grid Modernization Agenda
America’s energy challenges are an innovation opportunity. With the right policies, the United States can modernize the grid, strengthen reliability, keep electricity affordable, and ensure that the technologies driving the next era of economic growth can continue to be developed and deployed here at home.
The Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, Affordable Innovation for the Grid Act, Advanced Transmission Technology to Reduce Rates Act, High-Capacity Grid Act, and REWIRE Act each advance key elements of 91快活林’s energy policy platform. Working together, Congress, federal agencies, state regulators, utilities, grid operators, and the broader energy ecosystem can advance these and other solutions to power American growth and innovation now and in the future.