Summer heat is driving up energy demand, as Americans crank up their air conditioners amid record-breaking heat to stay safe and comfortable. Over the past two weeks, more than 200 million Americans were under extreme heat alerts, with temperatures as high as 115°F across central and eastern parts of the United States.

This led to weekly electricity output hitting record levels in early July. America’s electric companies delivered twice as much energy in seven days as New York City uses in an entire year.

EEI’s member companies work every day to deliver reliable, affordable energy to the customers counting on them, maintaining a range of initiatives to drive efficiency and lower customer costs.

Dominion Energy

Dominion Energy’s EnergyShare assistance program gives eligible customers up to $300 from June 1 through September 30 and up to $600 October 1 through May 31 to help cover cooling and heating costs. The EnergyShare program also helps customers weatherize their homes to save money long term.

“Don’t make assumptions about whether you’re eligible or not. It’s not a lengthy or arduous process. You can check it out, see if you qualify, and if not, there are other options to explore,” said Dominion Energy spokesperson Craig Carper in a statement.

Entergy Texas

Entergy Texas’ energy efficiency team partners with local contractors each year to provide customers with free air-conditioning system tuneups. They recently worked with customers in the Orange and Dayton areas and are expanding to more communities across the state of Texas. Through the CoolSaver program, technicians optimize home cooling systems by cleaning, inspecting, and adjusting key components during tune-ups.

“We know summer heat in Southeast Texas can be intense, and inefficient cooling systems can add stress to a family’s budget,” said Entergy Texas Energy Efficiency Program Manager Weslyn Brown in a statement. “These tune-ups and upgrades help improve comfort, reduce energy use and put customers in a better position during the hottest months of the year.”

Eligible customers may also qualify for weatherization improvements, including air sealing, upgraded attic insulation, and duct sealing. These services help maintain indoor comfort by keeping cool air inside and blocking heat from entering the home. The company values these services at more than $250 per unit. Due to a high volume of applications, the CoolSaver program is not accepting new applications until next year.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy helps customers manage their summer energy use with tools and programs designed to meet customers where they are. Usage Alerts help customers stay informed about their projected energy use and estimated bill amount before their next bill arrives. Customers may also be eligible for a free home energy assessment, which offers personalized recommendations to help them better understand their home's energy use and identify opportunities to improve efficiency.

“Summer can be a challenging time for many households, and our goal is to give customers simple, practical tools that help them better understand their energy use and identify options that fit their needs, lifestyle and budget,” said Duke Energy spokesperson Caroline Fountain.

Depending on where they live, customers may also have access to time-of-use rates, bill credits through demand response programs and rebates for energy-efficient home upgrades. Together, these tools and programs help customers better understand their energy use and find options that fit their household needs, lifestyle and budget. Program availability varies by location, so customers should check the offerings available in their area.

Resources and Tips to Help Reduce Energy Bills

Electric companies across the country are also proponents of the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps qualifying customers with their energy bills. August is LIHEAP Action Month, when EEI and the National Energy & Utility Affordability Coalition raise awareness about LIHEAP and advocate for continued federal funding for the program.

Learn more about how EEI’s member companies keep electricity prices low during LIHEAP Action Month and throughout the year. 

There are also simple ways you can save energy and money while simultaneously keeping your home cool. EEI and our member companies encourage customers to follow these seven energy efficient tips in the summer:

• Service Your AC: Schedule a professional tune-up and replace filters as recommended.
• Use a Smart Thermostat: Program temperatures to improve comfort and reduce energy costs.
• Keep Airflow Clear: Make sure vents and the outdoor AC unit are free of obstructions.
• Cover Windows: Close blinds, curtains, or drapes on sun-facing windows to reduce heat gain.
• Switch to LEDs: Use LED bulbs and take advantage of natural daylight when possible.
• Seal Air Leaks: Caulk and weather-strip cracks and openings to keep cool air inside.
• Cook Smarter: Grill outdoors or use a microwave to minimize indoor heat.

For more tips on how to save energy during the summer, check out EEI’s More Than 100 Ways to Improve Your Electric Bill booklet.

Electricity is having its biggest moment in a generation. After two decades of flat growth, U.S. power demand is climbing at a historic rate, driven by advanced manufacturing, electrification, and load growth from data centers. Even though data centers have captured public attention, their role in America’s energy landscape is nuanced: When connected to the grid, they lower price pressures, drive economic development, and ultimately benefit customers and communities across the country.

Large-load data centers not only help reduce electricity costs for retail customers but also deliver meaningful community benefits through investments in the local areas where they operate. EEI member companies actively work with tech companies and data center developers to strengthen benefits in surrounding communities.

Rate Payer Protection

EEI member companies ensure new customers pay their full cost of service, freezing or even lowering rates for existing customers in the process. This same principle is reflected in the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge that formalizes an approach electric companies have been executing for years: hyperscalers are responsible for securing their own power supply, funding necessary infrastructure upgrades that benefit everyone, and paying for the capacity they reserve regardless of actual electricity use.

Alliant Energy

Regulators in Wisconsin recently approved We Energies’ Customer Protection Plan, ensuring that the cost of hosting data centers will not affect residential customers. In addition, Wisconsin regulators approved a contract for Alliant Energy to power a Meta data center without impacting residential customers. Alliant Energy is currently in the middle of a five-year rate freeze facilitated by the company’s data center customers.

DTE Energy

DTE Energy announced that, following its latest filing with the Michigan Public Service Commission, it intends to pause requests for electric rate increases for at least 2 years. The decision is driven by growing demand from data centers, with two new data center agreements expected to support nearly $9 billion in grid upgrades funded by large-load customers.

NiSource

In April, NiSource announced a data center agreement with a subsidiary of Alphabet and expanded an existing agreement with Amazon. Under the NIPSCO Generation LLC (GenCo) model, NiSource customers will receive a total of $1.4 billion in savings. The GenCo model ensures residential customers are not impacted by large load customers' new generation and that tech companies pay their fair share of the cost.

“As data center demand continues to grow across our service territory, we are helping to ensure that new large-load customers support the infrastructure needed to serve them while existing customers benefit through bill credits as those customers ramp,” said NiSource President and CEO Lloyd Yates in a statement. “We are proud to support Indiana’s economic development momentum through a model that advances affordability, reliability and long-term growth.”

Southern Company

Georgia Power and Alabama Power announced plans to freeze customer rates due to their work with data centers and large load customers. Alabama Power’s freeze lasts until 2027, while Georgia Power’s freeze runs through 2028.

Investing in Communities

Beyond customer savings, data center partnerships are generating direct, measurable benefits for the communities that host them.

Dominion Energy

In Henrico County, Va., Dominion Energy has collaborated with Virginia’s Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) to create the Solar Access Henrico program. This new model helps low-income households install solar systems and lower their electricity bills through a $5 million contribution from the QTS data center.

Since launching in 2025, the program has already helped 96 homeowners in five communities across Virginia install solar systems. Over the next 30 years, these households are expected to save more than $5 million thanks to the solar system.

“County leaders worked with the data center, the developer and the power company on a strategy to allay fears and reduce expenses for residents,” said Executive Director of LISC Virginia Jame Ferrara in a statement. “It helps people protect their homes while also creating more local jobs.”

To qualify, households must earn 80 percent or less of the area median income, or up to $90,800 for a family of four in the greater Richmond area that includes Henrico County. Installation runs approximately $20,000 per home and includes a 20-year warranty.

Entergy

Entergy’s recent partnership with Meta is expected to deliver $2 billion in savings to Entergy Louisiana customers over the next 20 years, while also giving back to local educators. Increased tax revenues from Meta’s data center project have recently enabled Richland Parish teachers to receive annual bonuses of up to $50,000. The annual bonuses are 400% higher than the previous year.

“It’s life-altering for our teachers and their families, and it’s transforming our schools,” said Superintendent of the Richland Parish School District Sheldon Jones in a statement. “Meta’s investment has made Richland Parish a destination for education as well as industry,” Jones explained.

Bringing Jobs

Data centers also create new opportunities for workers, local businesses, and regional economies.

Dominion Energy

Through the partnership among QTS data centers, Dominion Energy, and LISC, the solar panel model is not only designed to reduce utility costs, but also to support local jobs. These jobs include local solar installations and clean-energy opportunities.

“This program is offering proof of concept for the larger idea that solar and efficiency funding can address the larger housing and energy affordability challenges, while also creating jobs in partnership with utilities and major data firms,” said LISC Senior Vice President John Moon in a statement.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy has partnered with Amazon to power the AWS data center in Richmond County, NC. Amazon’s data center brings 2,000 temporary jobs to the area and 500 permanent roles. Additionally, Amazon has partnered with Richmond Community College to provide students with information about data center careers and pathways to enter the field. This initiative is designed to help local residents gain the skills and qualifications needed to secure higher-paying jobs within the data center sector.

Entergy

Meta’s partnership with Entergy Louisiana will create 1,000 jobs in a community of 20,000 people once operational. Louisiana Delta Community College is receiving a $5 million donation from Meta to create scholarships to train residents for data center jobs. Additional benefits include Louisiana local businesses receiving over $1.6 billion in contracts from Meta since construction began in 2024.

Meta also provides training to local small businesses in Louisiana and invests in programs connecting businesses and workers to opportunities at the data center site. This includes developing subcontracting partnerships that support workforce development opportunities through local colleges and universities.

Furthermore, thanks to the increased bonuses for teachers in Richland Parish, Superintendent Jones says this is the first time in his 30-year career that every teacher who interviewed was fully certified. Higher bonuses attract better educators, and Jones is confident that if the Richland Parish School District attracts the best teachers, they will become the best school district in the region.

Research Shows Data Centers Benefit Communities

An increasing number of studies, including those from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Charles River Associates, reach a similar conclusion about data centers. Research suggests that data centers typically exert downward pressure on electricity rates and benefit existing customers.

For example, a study conducted by EPRI found that the increase in the number of data centers from 2015 to 2024 led to a 4 percent decline in retail electricity prices. In addition, the Lawrence Berkeley study found that state-level load growth was associated with a decline in average retail electricity prices across most states from 2019 to 2025.

This system will only work if “fair share agreements,” or large-load tariffs, ensure that new customers on the grid pay their full cost of service. Across our member companies, large customer partnerships are being established to deliver real, quantifiable benefits back to existing customers.

“We know it feels like every bill is higher right now – from housing to groceries to power – and that can put a strain on families. We also understand that our customers depend on us to provide safe, reliable energy, day in and day out, at the lowest possible price," Duke Energy Florida State President Melissa Seixas said in a statement. “This is the third rate reduction for our customers this year, supporting our commitment to delivering positive outcomes that have a real, tangible impact on their wallets and in their lives.”

The reduction reflects the difference between anticipated storm cost recovery related to hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton, and what the company actually incurred. Rates were reduced for a similar reason in February. Duke Energy Florida also cut rates in March, as it does every year, to support customers during a period when energy use is typically higher.

Additionally, Duke Energy Florida estimates its customers will save more than $1 billion from infrastructure investments the company made last year to expand its generation portfolio, upgrade natural gas plants, make infrastructure more weather-resilient, and deploy self-healing grid technologies.

Across the country, EEI member companies will invest more than $1.4 trillion during the next five years to make the grid stronger, more resilient, and more efficient – allowing them to meet rising energy demand while continuing to deliver the reliable, affordable energy that customers count on. They will invest more than $238 billion this year alone.

Many, like Duke Energy Florida, are also freezing or reducing rates. In March, Pacific Gas and Electric Company lowered electric rates for the fifth time since 2024. In May, Georgia’s public service commission approved a plan to lower rates by roughly $50 per year for the typical residential customer after previously instituting a multi-year rate freeze, thanks in part to Georgia Power’s work with data center developers. Similar rate freezes have been approved in Alabama and Iowa and proposed in Michigan.

A recent study from Concentric Energy Advisors (CEA) identified the grid’s 22,000 generators, 55,000 substations, 642,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines, and 6.3 million miles of distribution infrastructure as “the enabling platform for economic and national security,” delivering “reliable power to all sectors of the economy, including essential services such as defense, emergency response, water systems, and communication.”

LIHEAP provides federal assistance to qualifying customers to help cover their heating and cooling expenses—as well as other costs associated with home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization, and minor energy-related home improvements. 

This event, hosted annually by the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC), drives important customer-focused policy discussionss. 

For more than 40 years, LIHEAP has effectively assisted families and provided consistent benefits that relieve the energy burden on the most vulnerable Americans. America’s electric companies, NEAUC, and other program advocates remain committed to supporting LIHEAP and working with lawmakers to maximize federal funding. 

In addition to advocating for LIHEAP funding, electric companies are working at the state level to streamline the process for connecting eligible customers to LIHEAP resources and other assistance programs in their communities. 

Five things to know about LIHEAP: 

• Nearly 6 million households across the United States receive assistance from LIHEAP.
• The majority of households that receive LIHEAP support have an annual income below $20,000.
• Only 1 in 7 families eligible for LIHEAP aid actually receives it, which is why electric companies work to help customers understand eligibility.
• More than 2 in 5 LIHEAP households include a person who is at least 60 years old.
• 7 in 10 households helped by LIHEAP are home to a child younger than 6 years old, an elderly resident, a veteran, or someone with a disability. 

Join us to #ProtectLIHEAP by telling your elected officials in Congress to maximize funding for this critical program. 
 

Americans’ electric bills have been widely protected from increases related to data center development, according to a new study from Charles River Associates (CRA) that shows average retail electricity rates have largely tracked with inflation during the past 10 years.

The report compiled data from the U.S. Energy Information Association and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and found that while electricity rates vary widely by geographic location, “for most customers, rates have been largely stable.” Where rates did increase, “the timing and location of the rate increases that were observed are not consistent with the timeline of data center development.”

“This analysis underscores the important work America’s electric companies do every day to keep electricity reliable and make bills as low as possible,” said Drew Maloney, EEI President and CEO. “While CRA’s report makes clear that our industry is making good progress for most of the country, we also understand we have more work to do as we serve American families and local businesses.”

Among the report’s key findings:

• There is not a broad, national trend toward rising rates, which means some of the data driving national narratives are “misleading or misinterpreted.”
• In a handful of locations, rates have risen in recent years, driven by external drivers and operating expenses such as wholesale price increases, wildfire spending, and net energy metering programs.
• With the exception of some areas served by the PJM Interconnection, data centers are not driving up rates. New data center tariffs and agreements will insulate existing customers from the costs of serving data centers.

America’s investor-owned electric companies have been working with hyperscalers, regulators, and state and local officials to implement special tariffs that protect residential customers while ensuring large customers pay their fair share to access the grid. To date, 18 states have approved large load tariffs, with decisions pending in another 8 states.

Outside of the PJM Interconnection, customers have largely been protected from cost increases related to data centers. EEI and its member companies have long called for reform to PJM that would improve accountability and transparency, proactive resource planning, and procurement flexibility. EEI supported the January announcement from President Donald Trump and a bipartisan group of governors from states served by PJM calling for an emergency auction to require technology companies to fund new electricity generation needed to serve growing data center demand.

Read the full study here, and learn more about how electric companies are delivering value for customers at eei.org/affordability.

Electric Perspectives (EP): Vince, it’s been several years since you first outlined your thoughts in Electric Perspectives of PPL’s Utility of the Future strategy. How has that strategy evolved, and why is it more important than ever?

Vince Sorgi (VS): Our original Utility of the Future strategy to get stronger, smarter, cleaner, more resilient, and highly efficient remains largely intact, but two major industry shifts have required us to update and sharpen our approach.

First, we’re seeing massive data center requests to connect to our grids in Pennsylvania and Kentucky—demand at a scale we hadn’t anticipated just a few years ago. For example, in our Pennsylvania service territory, we have more than 20 gigawatts (GW) of data center projects in advanced planning—nearly triple the current peak demand that took more than a century to reach.

Second, while affordability has always been part of our strategy, business and household budgets have tightened further in recent years, making affordability a front-and-center issue in policy discussions and even gubernatorial races.

To create headroom for needed investments, becoming more efficient as a company and as an industry is more critical than ever. To address these shifts, we’ve updated our strategy to prioritize building highly reliable, gas-fired, combined-cycle generation. This is evidenced by our regulatory filings in Kentucky and our joint venture with Blackstone Infrastructure to build generation to serve new data centers in Pennsylvania.

In addition, we’ve doubled down on deploying advanced technology and AI—AI that will be key to enabling the next wave of operational efficiency. In short, our strategy continues to evolve so we can deliver safe, reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy for our customers no matter how the landscape changes

EP: What are the key components of PPL’s strategy today? And how are you defining “utility of the future”?

VS: Our Utility of the Future strategy centers on five primary objectives:

1. Improve the reliability and resiliency of our electric and gas networks through system hardening, smart grid technology, and automation.
2. Advance a cleaner energy future affordably and reliably. This includes building natural gas combined-cycle generation, renewables, and battery storage while accelerating clean energy research and development (R&D).
3. Deliver operational efficiencies to support affordability. Every dollar we save in operations and maintenance expenses is $8 that we can invest to improve infrastructure without impacting customer bills.
4. Empower our customers through digital solutions. There is tremendous potential to improve the customer experience through connected tech and AI.
5. Develop and empower our employees to thrive in a rapidly changing energy landscape, equipping them with the skills, tools, and mindset to lead and adapt as our industry evolves.

The future we envision is generation that’s cleaner, more diverse and less-centralized, including substantial behind-the-meter generation enabled by our networks. It’s transmission and distribution that’s intelligent, more reliable, resistant to increased storms and flooding, self-healing, and able to detect failing equipment before outages occur.

It’s decision-making driven by powerful analytics and deep insights mined from a wealth of sensor-driven data. It’s highly efficient operations using technology and AI to deliver better results at lower costs.

And, it’s technology-enabled talent, next-generation digital architecture, and a dynamic, engaging, and highly collaborative workplace shaping the future of energy.

In a nutshell, the utility of the future is one that’s ready for anything—and always ready to deliver for our customers, our communities, and our shareowners.

EP: What can you share about the progress you are making with this strategy and what you’re doing to position the company for success?

VS: We recognized early on that to implement our Utility of the Future strategy, we needed to change every aspect of our business without jeopardizing the critical services we provide. That began with how the company was organized and who we had leading it. So, over the past few years, we’ve completed a dramatic transformation of PPL—one that’s set the stage for everything we’re accomplishing now.

We built a strong, experienced, and highly collaborative leadership team aligned around a clear vision, mission, and set of new corporate values. We restructured our organization to break down silos, speed the adoption of best practices across the enterprise, and drive continuous improvement. We developed common design and operations standards across our utilities to consistently drive advanced technology and more robust engineering and construction specs. Every part of our capital plan was scrutinized and realigned to ensure it fully supports our strategy and delivers value.

Importantly, we also made bold moves on the technology front. We hired a new Executive Vice President of Technology and Innovation reporting directly to me. We launched an ambitious Business Reinvention initiative and have since begun partnering with some of the biggest and brightest technology firms in the world to help us achieve our vision, deploy digital solutions, and incorporate AI. This includes firms like Accenture, Microsoft, SAP, GE Vernova, Landis & Gyr, ServiceNow, and Quant.

These are not just technology providers—they are strategic partners who have signed up to help us achieve our strategy. The level of partnership and engagement with these firms is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, and it will be one of the enabling factors in achieving our vision. And, just as importantly, we established a change management center of excellence to help our teams better embrace and lead through this change.

Setting the stage in this way was not easy and took a lot of time and commitment, including from me as the CEO of the company, but we’re already seeing the benefits: faster execution, greater efficiency, and a culture that’s energized and ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead.

EP: The intersection of AI and energy is one of the hottest topics in our industry these days. How is PPL enabling the AI revolution, and how do you see AI fitting into your overall strategy?

VS: AI is like the industrial revolution 2.0 on steroids. It is reshaping the landscape, bringing new hurdles to overcome, but also opening doors to transform our operations and support our strategy in ways we couldn’t have imagined a few years ago.

At PPL, we’ve made it a strategic priority to serve this new data center demand, and our strategy is twofold. First, enable speed to market and rapidly connect data centers to the grid through industry-leading responsiveness and agility. Second, support the development of new generation to meet this growing demand.

To achieve the first objective, we’ve put in place an interconnection process that allows us to deliver a high-level scope and estimates to developers within 5–10 days, provide a full feasibility report within two months, and support construction in 6–12 months, pending required regulatory approvals. Thanks to investments we’ve made and continue to make in a highly reliable grid, we’re able to quickly connect these large customers, often with minimal additional transmission work.

On the generation side, PPL recently formed a joint venture with Blackstone Infrastructure to build generation to serve new data center demand in Pennsylvania in a way that directly supports economic development, helps to mitigate rising electricity prices for customers, delivers value for our shareowners, and helps—not hurts—resource adequacy in PJM.

In addition, we’re supporting legislation in Pennsylvania that would allow regulated utilities to build and own generation again, given the PJM market, alone, is failing to deliver the generation needed to meet growing demand.

We believe unprecedented demand growth requires an unprecedented response. Given the pace and scale of new data center demand, we need everyone who is willing and able to build generation to do so as soon as possible.

Sorgi joins members of the PPL Corporation team in ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

EP: How is PPL dealing with speculation around data center demand projections?

VS: We know that demand forecasting is a critical component of system planning. In Pennsylvania, for example, our PPL Electric Utilities subsidiary collaborates closely with developers and PJM to validate the demand of proposed data center projects. 

This starts with evaluating the technical and financial feasibility of a project, as well as established land control. To ensure an accurate representation of emerging demand, only data center projects with advanced agreements are included in the annual load forecast that PPL Electric provides to PJM. To be clear, these are advanced agreements with hyperscalers or developers authorizing grid connection work—agreements with enforceable cost recovery that escalates as milestones are met, often reaching tens of millions of dollars.

Additionally, PJM is discounting the large demand forecast that we provide by up to 30 percent. In addition, we are working with other transmission owners in PJM and engaging in focused conversations with regulators to ensure consistency and confidence in load forecasts.

EP: There’s growing concern that competitive markets like PJM aren’t incentivizing new generation fast enough to meet surging demand. There has also been pushback from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) about reopening the door to regulated utility ownership of generation. What are PPL’s views on the matter?

VS: This is one of the most urgent issues facing our industry right now. All of the signals and all of the forecasts point to a problem—generation is just not being built, or built fast enough, to satisfy future demand.

PJM has warned of a capacity shortage as early as the 2026/2027 delivery year, citing accelerating retirements and slow replacement build-out. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation has repeatedly warned that resource adequacy risks are rising, especially in regions relying heavily on market signals. Despite record-breaking capacity prices, PJM’s market is failing to deliver the new generation needed to meet rising demand—proving that price signals, alone, just aren’t enough. And, of the more than 800 GW of total capacity that has entered PJM’s queue since 1998, only about 11 percent has actually gone into service.

Bottom line: proposals don’t power homes and businesses. Steel in the ground does. While this is often positioned in the media as an “us versus them” debate between regulated utilities and IPPs, that’s not how we view it at PPL, and it doesn’t need to be that way. Ultimately, the grid doesn’t care who wins that debate—it just needs solutions. In a world of surging demand and evolving risks, securing our energy future requires an all-of-the-above approach, with every tool, every partner, and every solution on the table. PPL is committed to being proactive, not reactive, in addressing resource adequacy and ensuring our infrastructure keeps pace with economic growth and technological change.

The legislation introduced in Pennsylvania would allow utility-owned generation to complement the market, not replace it. It would allow utilities to build generation only when the reserve margin isn’t met through market mechanisms, with robust regulatory review and opportunities for market comparison.

In other words, utility-owned generation is only a backstop if the market doesn’t deliver. If the market delivers, then the utilities will never own generation in rate base. And, if the utility does end up owning generation, and that generation produces excess revenue, 100 percent of that net revenue would be returned to customers, ensuring customers benefit from any upside while being shielded from downside risk.

The other key aspect of the legislation is permitting long-term contracts between the state’s utilities and the IPPs to help derisk IPP construction of new generation should they want to go that route versus just relying on market price signals. In short, the proposed legislation contains the kind of smart solutions and ideas we need more of, and we’re hopeful such legislation can gain lawmakers’ support.

A recent PJM proposal to incentivize large customers to “bring their own generation” and encourage demand flexibility is also something that we think has merit, and we’ll be involved in fleshing out details to advance that concept as a workable proposal.

Markets worked when demand was flat and supply was abundant—but that world has been flipped on its head. We’re entering an era of explosive growth and shifting reliability needs, and we believe it is time to stop looking in the rearview mirror and start planning for the road ahead.

EP: Powering AI is clearly one piece of the equation for PPL. On the flip side, how are you thinking about using AI to deliver better outcomes?

VS: AI isn’t just the next wave of innovation—it’s a tidal force promising to reshape our entire industry. The more we learn about the possibilities of AI, the more we see how truly transformational it will be and how it can accelerate our strategy.

Ultimately, our vision is to embed AI as a core capability in every aspect of our business. We’re not just talking about classical and generative AI, but agentic AI that adapts and acts, and maybe even one day physical AI—think, for example, of robots performing or assisting with some of our most dangerous work.

As part of our Reinvention effort, we’ve launched cross-functional teams to advance new technology and AI in four key value streams: Advanced Customer Ops and Engagement, Predictive Field Ops and Asset Management, Grid and Pipeline of the Future, and Next Generation Enterprise Services.

In each of these areas, we’re either already using or exploring the use of AI. For example, in customer service, we’re piloting a multilingual, AI-powered digital customer service agent—Alex—that we’re incredibly excited about. Alex will eventually be available 24/7 to handle routine customer inquiries in 70-plus languages, freeing up our representatives for more complex issues.

In addition, we’re deploying an AI-driven platform that will incorporate AI at every step of the customer experience. This includes handling the initial customer contact, seamlessly handing it off to the best-fit agent, delivering AI coaching and insights to our agents, providing automated summaries post-call, and triggering backend workflows so our agents can spend less time typing and more time listening and assisting.

In our grid and field operations, we’re using AI to monitor equipment health, predict failures, dispatch crews proactively, and optimize crew routing, outage response, and vegetation management. We’re working on AI agents to help us optimize protective settings in grid operations to enhance reliability and fault response. We’re also developing digital agents that will deliver job-specific safety messages, providing tailored reminders about hazards before crews begin a job.

Among other examples, we’re exploring the use of AI agents to lighten the heavy lift associated with complex regulatory filings. These agents will be able to assist with pre- and post-filing work, including responses to third-party discovery requests that can be incredibly time-consuming and require quick turnaround. This could trim thousands of labor hours to help keep energy affordable.

And finally, we’ve begun to roll out Copilot for Microsoft 365 to our employees, helping them work smarter and more efficiently. We have only just begun to scratch the surface of what’s possible here.

“AI isn’t just the next wave of innovation—it’s a tidal force promising to reshape our entire industry.”

EP: What’s your message to investors and analysts attending the EEI Financial Conference in November?

VS: My message is simple: PPL is not just keeping up with change—we’re leading it. Our industry is positioned at the intersection of some of the most important trends taking place in our country. And, at PPL, we have a clear strategy, a strong track record of execution, and a culture that embraces innovation.

We’re thinking bigger, we’re thinking bolder, and we have an opportunity, both as a company and as an industry, to build utilities of the future that are stronger, smarter, cleaner, and ready to power the next century of progress. The key is to enable all of this progress while, at the same time, keeping energy affordable for customers. That has been a core component of our strategy since we launched the new PPL in 2022, and it remains a core part of the strategy going forward.

EP: Any closing thoughts on what it will take to succeed in this new era?

VS: Innovation. Agility. The foresight to seize opportunities created by next-generation digital architecture, cloud solutions, and advanced technology. Enhanced collaboration across the industry, in R&D, with technology partners, and with a wide array of stakeholders, including the IPPs. And, above all, the courage to embrace change.

The challenges we face are complex, but in every challenge lies opportunity. At PPL, we’re building the utility of the future today, and we’re excited to help shape the energy future for our customers, our communities, and our shareowners.

The funds will be distributed through the Share program, administered locally by Metropolitan Ministries, the Salvation Army, and the Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg to provide direct support for customers struggling to pay their bills.

With this contribution, Tampa Electric will have donated $4.4 million to the Share program during the past four years. The program is funded by donations from Tampa Electric shareholders, employees, customers, and community partners and does not impact customer bills.

“We recognize that many of our most vulnerable customers are feeling especially stretched right now,” Tampa Electric President and CEO Archie Collins said in a statement. “As a company deeply rooted in this community, we believe it’s our responsibility to support our neighbors in times of need.”

Additionally, Tampa Electric recommends several tips and tricks to help customers adjust their energy usage and avoid unexpected hikes to their monthly bills. Closely monitoring the use of air conditioning, ceiling fans, and other household appliances could all help mitigate monthly energy consumption.

Customer affordability has long been a priority for investor-owned electric companies, particularly during summer months when air conditioning and energy use tend to spike, putting upward pressure on energy bills.

As artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers, increased industrialization and the reshoring of manufacturing activity, and the broader electrification of the economy continue to push electricity demand higher, EEI member companies are proactively developing customer support programs and raising awareness of existing federal, state, and company-specific resources to help ensure customers who need financial assistance are able to access it.

Visit EEI’s Energy Affordability hub for more information about what local resources may be available in your community, including eligibility for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and for EEI’s guide to more than 100 ways to improve your electric bill, including energy efficiency updates and actions that you can take to help manage your bill.

In August, Ameren announced plans to distribute $4 million in bill payment assistance to community action agencies that connect residential customers with financial resources. 

Ameren Illinois then announced that income-qualified customers who have fallen behind on their energy bills can apply for an additional $150 in payment assistance through their local Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) agency. That same $150 one-time Ameren Energy Relief Grant also is available to Ameren Missouri customers, who may qualify for up to $1,400 in bill payment assistance across several different programs. 

“It's also important for our customers to understand how to use our online tools and to see how they're using energy so they can take control of their usage,” Ameren Vice President of Customer Experience Joe Solari said in a statement, noting additional resources available to customers in Illinois and Missouri. “These tools are designed to empower customers to manage their energy in ways that work for them.” 

Ameren has partnered with hundreds of agencies this year, making more than $75 million available to support its customers through energy assistance and LIHEAP access. 

Visit EEI’s Energy Affordability hub for more information about what local resources may be available in your community, including eligibility for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and for EEI’s guide to more than 100 ways to improve your electric bill, including energy efficiency updates and actions that you can take to help manage your bill. 

PG&E estimates a residential customer who uses 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month—roughly the average monthly usage for a California customer, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration—will see their bills dip by about $5.

That’s in addition to a biannual $58.23 credit customers will receive in October from the California Climate Credit initiative, part of the state’s effort to support the transition to low-carbon energy generation. PG&E estimates residential electric rates have dropped three times during the past 15 months and that those drops have offset rate increases. The company forecasts rates will fall again in 2026.

“While we continue making progress to stabilize electric prices for our customers, we know there is more work to do,” PG&E Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer Carla Peterman said in a statement. “Our focus is on making our system safer and more reliable for customers every day, while managing our costs to keep bills as low as possible.”

PG&E maintains a series of no- and low-cost tools to help customers save energy and money, including the PG&E REACH program, which offers eligible customers credits of up to $300 to help pay past-due bills. The PG&E REACH program distributed more than $50 million in financial assistance to customers last year alone. PG&E also maintains a Savings Finder tool to help connect customers with support programs and resources and in July committed $50 million to new and existing financial assistance programs to support eligible customers with past-due energy bills. 

Visit EEI’s Energy Affordability hub for more information about what local resources may be available in your community, including eligibility for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and for EEI’s guide to more than 100 ways to improve your electric bill, including energy efficiency updates and actions that you can take to help manage your bill. 

Customer affordability has long been a priority for investor-owned electric companies, particularly during summer months when air conditioning and energy use tend to spike, putting upward pressure on energy bills.

As artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers, increased industrialization and the reshoring of manufacturing activity, and the broader electrification of the economy continue to push electricity demand higher, EEI member companies are proactively developing customer support programs and raising awareness of existing federal, state, and company-specific resources to help ensure customers who need financial assistance are able to access it.

Each August, EEI and the National Energy & Utility Affordability Coalition observe Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Action Month, to help raise awareness of and advocate for federal funding for LIHEAP. The program plays a critical role in helping low-income customers manage their energy bills, providing essential heating and cooling assistance to eligible families. EEI is actively engaging with our partners on Capitol Hill to stress the importance of the program.

Additionally, many EEI member companies also are rolling out innovative financial assistance tools and relief programs to help keep customer bills as low as possible.

In June, Exelon Corporation and its local affiliate companies—Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, and Pepco—rolled out a $50-million Customer Relief Fund, partnering with local nonprofits to help limited- and middle-income customers in need of energy bill assistance this summer.

“Exelon understands that high energy bills, caused by increased supply costs, are extremely stressful for low- and middle-income customers—which includes many seniors, small business owners, and families experiencing challenges,” Exelon President and CEO Calvin Butler, who also currently serves as EEI Chair, said in a statement announcing his company’s Customer Relief Fund.

Similarly, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) in July announced it would commit $50 million to new and existing financial assistance programs. It also announced a new dollar-for-dollar matching program up to $1,000 to help eligible customers pay past-due bills. An estimated 400,000 customers are expected to be eligible for the new program based on federal income guidelines.

Exelon and PG&E are among EEI’s largest member companies, but electricity providers of all sizes are shining a spotlight on similar initiatives to support the customers and communities they serve.

Developing Innovative Solutions

Among the new EEI member-led financial support initiatives to launch this summer is the Public Service Electric and Gas Company’s (PSE&G’s) Summer Relief Initiative, designed to protect residential customers from higher energy bills. PSE&G in June received approval from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to issue temporary credits to customers, partially offsetting higher energy prices in the region. The company also issued a Summer Moratorium on disconnections for qualified customers and is waiving reconnection fees.

Many other companies are partnering with local nonprofits and philanthropic organizations to ensure resources flow to the most vulnerable. The Duke Energy Foundation, for example, committed $400,000 in June to its Share the Light Fund, which supports customers facing financial hardship across the six states that Duke Energy serves. Through the Share the Light Fund, Duke Energy works with local nonprofit agencies that can help connect individual customers with the resources and aid for which they qualify. The foundation’s latest contribution builds on the $11 million that Duke Energy, its foundation, its employees, and its customers have committed to such efforts during the past three years.

“We know that behind every request for assistance is a story—a family, a friend, a community member working to get through a tough time,” Duke Energy Foundation President Amy Strecker said in a statement. “Through the Share the Light Fund and our local partners, we’re able to support our neighbors in their moment of need.”

Driving Energy Efficiency

EEI member companies also are working directly with corporate and residential customers to help them improve their energy efficiency, do more with less electricity, and lower their monthly bills. Dominion Energy Senior Policy Director Tonya Byrd wrote in Electric Perspectives earlier this year about her company’s energy efficiency renovation efforts, describing a project that involved upgrading a local senior citizen’s aging HVAC system, heat pump, ducts, and light fixtures.

Similarly, Entergy Texas earlier this year hosted a series of community events in Cleveland and Huntsville to provide no-cost air conditioning tune-ups to eligible customers. Some customers also received free energy efficiency products and home weatherization upgrades.

The air conditioning work is part of the company’s broader CoolSaver program, which provides free HVAC services valued at more than $200 per home. Qualified technicians clean and calibrate the output of existing systems to improve performance and help customers reduce their energy usage.

“We know the Texas summer heat can be relentless, and so can high energy bills if systems aren’t running efficiently,” Entergy Texas Energy Efficiency Program Manager Mark Delavan said in a statement. “These tune-ups can make a big difference in the homes and wallets of our customers.”

Raising Customer Awareness

Six in seven families eligible for LIHEAP assistance are not actively enrolled in the program, largely because they are unfamiliar with the resources available to them. Many EEI member companies see similar barriers to enrollment in state- and company-specific programs and are actively working to educate customers and streamline application processes.

Xcel Energy’s Resources. Education. Delivered. (RED) Truck launched in 2023 to bring information about financial assistance directly to customers. The RED Truck travels to fairs and community events, where bilingual Xcel Energy account representatives can help customers understand the resources available to them and answer questions about their accounts.

“By connecting with our customers where they live, work, and play, the RED Truck ensures their voices are heard and their needs are met, aligning with our mission to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable service,” Xcel Energy—Colorado President Robert Kenney said in a statement. “The RED Truck initiative lets our customers know they can rely on us to be where they need us to answer questions and provide support.”

PNM raises awareness of its Good Neighbor Fund by participating in community resource events across Albuquerque and its wider service territory. The PNM Good Neighbor Fund provides electric bill assistance to low-income and income-qualified customers, including seniors and other vulnerable groups.

The fund, which is distributed through a partnership with the Rio Grande Food Project, helps qualified customers stay connected to electricity during challenging times. PNM hosts several on-site bill assistance events throughout the year to provide customers and community members with direct access to these vital resources. During the events, PNM team members are available to answer questions, review customer eligibility, and help customers with bill assistance applications.

Electricity customers looking for assistance can visit EEI’s Energy Affordability hub for more information about what local resources may be available in their community, including federal LIHEAP eligibility, and for EEI’s guide to more than 100 ways to improve your electric bill, including energy efficiency updates and actions that customers can take to help lower energy bills.

Since 2022, the Foundation, Duke Energy, and its employees and customers have contributed more than $11 million to local nonprofit initiatives through the Share the Light Fund, helping connect customers with qualifying aid. 

“We know that behind every request for assistance is a story—a family, a friend, a community member working to get through a tough time,” Duke Energy Foundation President Amy Strecker said in a statement. “Through Share the Light Fund and our local partners, we’re able to support our neighbors in their moment of need.” 

At the same time, new programs and incentives are giving Duke Energy customers more control over their energy usage and costs. In addition to home weatherization and free home energy assessments, the company offers payment plans, due date extensions, and a Payment Assistance Finder. Monthly usage alerts also help customers track their energy consumption mid-cycle so they can adjust before the next bill arrives, and Duke Energy provides summer heat relief by helping connect eligible seniors and individuals with disabilities with fans or air conditioners. 

Visit EEI’s Energy Affordability hub for more information about what local resources may be available in your community, including eligibility for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and for EEI’s guide to more than 100 ways to improve your electric bill, including energy efficiency updates and actions that you can take to help manage your bill. 

The PNM Good Neighbor Fund provides electric bill assistance to low-income and income-qualified customers, including seniors and other vulnerable groups. The fund, which is distributed through a partnership with the Rio Grande Food Project, helps qualified customers stay connected to electricity during challenging times. A subprogram to the Good Neighbor Fund, the PNM CARES Program, offers targeted assistance to customers facing unique hardships, including medical challenges or domestic violence.

PNM hosts several on-site bill assistance events throughout the year to provide customers and community members with direct access to these vital resources. During the events, PNM team members are available to answer questions, review customer eligibility, and assist customers with bill assistance applications.

Visit EEI’s Energy Affordability hub for more information about what local resources may be available in your community, including eligibility for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and for EEI’s guide to more than 100 ways to improve your electric bill, including energy efficiency updates and actions that you can take to help manage your bill.

PG&E also announced a new dollar-for-dollar matching program up to $1,000 to help low- and moderate-income customers pay past-due bills and prevent service disconnections. An estimated 400,000 customers are expected to be eligible for the new PG&E Match My Payment Program, based on federal income guidelines.

“Our Match My Payment Program is designed to make sure more families receive support when they need it most, especially during the summer months when energy bills can peak,” PG&E Senior Vice President for Customer Experience Vincent Davis said in a statement.

Additional funding for the new program and PG&E’s other bill relief offerings will be monitored throughout the year to ensure resources are appropriately allocated to best meet customers’ evolving needs.

PG&E offers a range of income-based assistance programs for customers who need help with their bills, including the PG&E REACH program, which offers eligible customers credits of up to $300 to help pay past-due bills. The PG&E REACH program distributed more than $50 million in financial assistance to customers last year alone. PG&E also maintains a Savings Finder tool to help connect customers with support programs and resources.

Visit EEI’s Energy Affordability hub for more information about what local resources may be available in your community, including eligibility for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and for EEI’s guide to more than 100 ways to improve your electric bill, including energy efficiency updates and actions that you can take to help manage your bill.

Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, and Pepco are accepting applications from customers seeking bill relief. PECO customers in the Philadelphia area will be able to apply for assistance beginning in August.

“Exelon understands that high energy bills, caused by increased supply costs, are extremely stressful for low- and middle-income customers—which includes many seniors, small business owners, and families experiencing challenges,” Exelon President and CEO and EEI Chair Calvin Butler said in a statement. “The Customer Relief Fund, in addition to our existing year-round programs supporting customers with energy assistance, once again demonstrates Exelon’s commitment to our communities.”

The $50-million fund has been spread across Exelon’s local energy companies, which are actively assisting customers who want more information about how they can access and apply for assistance.

Last month, Maryland Governor Wes Moore joined officials from BGE, Pepco, Delmarva Power, and nonprofit organizations including the United Way of Central Maryland, the Salvation Army, Harford Community Action Agency, and Shore UP! to announce that $19 million in assistance would be made available to limited- and middle-income customers in Maryland. 

“We need to work together to get them relief—and today, we are taking new actions to achieve exactly that,” Governor Moore said in a statement. “But, while this is an important step forward, it will not be the last.” 

The one-time fund is part of Exelon’s broader efforts to help customers manage their energy bills. Across the country, EEI’s member electric companies are offering energy efficiency programs to help customers reduce their energy use, working with state and local governments to develop new and innovative customer-centric programs, and offering billing assistance and flexible payment options to help customers manage costs. 

Visit EEI’s Energy Affordability hub for more information about what local resources may be available in your community, including eligibility for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. And, learn about more than 100 ways to improve your electric bill, including energy efficiency updates and actions that you can take to help manage your bill.

Entergy Mississippi this month announced it would contribute $628,000 to provide bill assistance to older adults and customers with disabilities who qualify through its The Power to Care program.

Entergy Mississippi announced the contribution during a “Beat the Heat Day” event, where employee volunteers partnered with community resource groups to provide resources to help customers combat high temperatures, including household energy efficiency kits, fans, energy-saving tips, and cooling stations. 

“High temperatures in our service area are notorious for causing higher energy bills, which leaves many of our customers struggling to make ends meet,” said Valarie Mabry, public affairs analyst at Entergy Mississippi. “It’s why we’re thankful for our community partners who help us get these important resources to homes in need.” 

Entergy Mississippi’s bill assistance contribution will be distributed through Entergy Corporation’s The Power to Care program, which provides emergency bill payment assistance to older adults and customers with disabilities in their time of need. The Power to Care program is funded through employee, customer, and shareholder donations, and Entergy shareholders match each gift, up to $1 million.

Visit EEI’s Energy Affordability hub for more information about what local resources may be available in your community, including eligibility for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and for EEI’s guide to more than 100 ways to improve your electric bill, including energy efficiency updates and actions that you can take to help manage your bill.

Upgrades and expansions to Entergy Louisiana’s generation and transmission infrastructure will help power a planned $5.8-billion Hyundai Motor Group steel manufacturing facility in Donaldsonville, La.

The facility, announced in late March, will produce 2.7 million metric tons of steel each year and help create an estimated 5,400 new jobs in the area. It also will solidify Hyundai’s vehicle manufacturing footprint within the United States, and the electric arc furnace serving the mill is expected to produce 70 percent fewer emissions than a traditional blast furnace.

“This historic investment will help set up Louisiana for long-term economic success, creating thousands of high-quality jobs and positioning our state as a leader in next-generation, low-carbon steel production,” Entergy Louisiana President and CEO Phillip May said in a statement.

For years, Entergy Louisiana has worked with the Louisiana Public Service Commission and other stakeholders to upgrade its transmission capacity along an area that, to date, has been the largest undeveloped tract of land along the deepwater stretch of the Mississippi River.

Last year, the company installed self-healing grid technology along the border of the surrounding Ascension Parish and East Baton Rouge, making local infrastructure more resilient.

Entergy Louisiana separately announced a $39-million project to fortify nearly 60 miles of power lines in Ascension Parish. Upon completion, the upgrades will help prevent 5.6 million hours of outages and save nearly $140 million in restoration costs during the next five decades. Work on additional transmission projects in the surrounding area also is underway.

Increased industrialization and onshoring of manufacturing activity in the United States is contributing to significant energy demand growth across the country and creating new opportunities for America’s electric companies to collaborate with their industry partners.

“Entergy Louisiana is proud to support Hyundai Steel Company with the reliable, sustainable energy solutions needed to power such an ambitious and forward-thinking facility. Together, we are building a stronger, more sustainable future for our state,” May said.

Days after the Louisiana announcement, Hyundai opened its nearly $7.6-billion mass-production electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid plant in Ellabell, Ga., which is powered in part by nuclear energy generated from Georgia Power’s Vogtle Units 3 and 4. And, last year, AES Ohio unveiled a new $175-million substation, which powers a new Honda-LG Energy Solution EV battery plant in Fayette County, Ohio.

Manufacturing activity is one of several factors driving demand growth projections higher in the years ahead, alongside the electrification of transportation and the buildout of data centers supporting artificial intelligence technologies.

Electric Perspectives (EP): How has customer demand evolved during your three years as Entergy CEO and in the nearly three decades that you have been with the company?

Drew Marsh (DM): The demand growth that’s taking place across the country and in Entergy’s service area is unlike anything we have seen in recent history—and, in some ways, ever.

Not only is the need for electricity at an all-time high, there’s also an explosion of economic activity in the Gulf South that is bringing new opportunities, new industries, and new customers to the region we serve. It is an exciting time to be leading Entergy. We’re in a unique position to respond to several favorable trends—including technological advancement and the buildout of data centers, the onshoring of industrial and manufacturing activity, increased demand for clean energy, and electrification throughout the economy.

I am proud of our work to develop a customer-led plan that will drive continued growth, reliability, and resilience in the years ahead. Through 2028, we plan to invest $37 billion in critical energy infrastructure, including generation, transmission, and distribution. We’re also building new natural gas infrastructure across our service area, with regulatory approval pending on a series of combustion turbine plants in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas that include accommodations for carbon capture technologies. We need to continue to embrace new technologies and to lead with innovation when it comes to powering the lives of our customers.

What has not changed for Entergy is our customer and community focus. For more than 100 years, we have been committed to serving our customers and to keeping their energy costs as low as possible—which is especially important in our region, with 40 percent of our residential customers living at or below the poverty line.

It’s our responsibility to balance building and strengthening the energy grid of the future with the needs and realities in our communities. We do this in a number of ways. Last year, Entergy launched the Leading Energy Affordability for All Task Force, which works with external partners to ensure our customers benefit from the $1.1 billion in grants, rebates, and funds available across our service area, including home energy rebates. While each of our Entergy operating companies has unique regulatory requirements for offering support through energy efficiency and demand response programs, we are united in our efforts to provide reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy to the customers and communities we serve.

EP: You mentioned your region’s industrial growth and new data center customers. What do you see as the key drivers of interest and investment in Entergy’s service territory?

DM: There are a number of natural advantages along the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River. We are home to the largest industrial base in the United States. People all over the world are looking at the United States for investment opportunities, and our access to global markets matters for our industrial customers—as does our ease of access to ports, pipelines, rail lines, and domestic markets and supply chains.

Low energy costs and abundant energy transportation have long been drivers of economic activity in our region. They’re part of the reason why Meta is investing $10 billion to build a 1,500-megawatt (MW) data center in Richland Parish, La., why Amazon Web Services is dedicating $16 billion to a 650-MW data center project in Madison County, Miss., and why Hyundai Motor Group is planning to build a $5.8-billion steel manufacturing facility in Donaldsonville, La.

In our conversations with these customers, we discussed how Entergy offers benefits to them through our vertical integration and deep ties to our communities. We’re able to convene diverse groups of stakeholders when speaking with new customers, bringing elected officials, community leaders, and local vendors to the table. This is the power of partnership, and the aligned vision across all parties involved helps bring new jobs and dollars to the states we serve. The economic impact to our communities is significant.

Speed-to-market matters, particularly to our data center customers, and we’re able to collaborate and move quickly and comprehensively to bring new opportunities to our communities. Our customers also benefit from Entergy’s diverse energy mix. Modern natural gas accounted for 43 percent of our generating capacity last year—with carbon-free generation sources, including nuclear energy and a growing portfolio of renewables, accounting for nearly 25 percent.

Entergy has 1,600 MW of renewable capacity in service and brought more than 700 MW of solar online in 2024 alone, with the goal of advancing an additional 5,000 MW through 2028.

Many of our customers have their own emissions reduction goals, and our diversity of generation makes us a valuable partner that can provide reliable and affordable service.

In January, Marsh joined Entergy's executive leadership team to ring the New York Stock Exchange's closing bell.

EP: Building a secure and weather-resilient grid has become one of the industry’s top priorities. How are the hardening and resilience initiatives that you are leading at Entergy helping to protect your customers and communities?

DM: Much of Entergy’s footprint sits along or close to the Gulf Coast. While the geography offers unique advantages, it also makes us susceptible to hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other severe weather events.

The energy grid we operate today was mostly built decades ago to a different standard and expectation than today’s modern life. That means it’s up to us and our government and regulatory partners to maintain and build a reliable and resilient grid for our customers with current weather patterns in mind.

Last year, Entergy Louisiana launched a five-year, $1.9-billion resilience plan that will see more than 2,100 projects aimed at hardening Louisiana’s energy transmission and distribution infrastructure. In January, Entergy Texas received approval for the first phase of a three-year, $137-million effort to reduce storm-related outages and to harden the Southeast Texas grid. Similar efforts in Arkansas, Mississippi, and throughout our region demonstrate our commitment to ensuring customers have access to power when they need it most.

Across our service area, we have invested more than $10 billion during the past five years to strengthen our transmission and distribution infrastructure, and we plan to make similar investments of $16 billion through 2028 to further support reliability and resilience.

Just last year, we received accelerated resilience approvals from our regulatory partners in Texas, Louisiana, and in New Orleans, specifically, that exceeded $2 billion. That allowed us to move forward with 73 distribution hardening projects and another 11 transmission projects. Some of these projects were in large economic hubs like New Orleans, but others were in more sparsely populated rural and coastal communities.

This work ranges from standard blocking-and-tackling efforts like hardening poles against high winds to integrating self-healing grid technologies that enhance our communication capabilities and allow us to restore power more quickly or to avoid outages altogether. We also ensure that all new substation structures and rebuilt infrastructure along the coast can withstand wind gusts of up to 150 miles per hour, as well as storm surge flooding.

I’m particularly proud of a 230-kilovolt transmission line that we completed in the Greater New Orleans area in 2022 that runs across the Mississippi River. The line and the towers that support it went from development to energization in less than one year—a significant accomplishment—and are capable of withstanding winds of up to 175 miles per hour.

EP: August will mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and large swaths of Entergy’s service territory. Entergy spent years leading the rebuilding and restoration efforts. How have you seen the industry’s perspective on extreme weather change over time?

DM: Hurricane Katrina was a defining moment for our industry and our company. An estimated 1.1 million of our customers were impacted by Katrina—effectively one third of our service area. Roughly 90,000 square miles of the Gulf Coast was devastated by the storm, and much of New Orleans was submerged by floodwaters and storm surge that, in some areas, eclipsed 15 feet. More than 1,000 people lost their lives during Katrina, and it remains one of the most catastrophic storms ever recorded.

I’d been with Entergy for seven years prior to the storm, and I vividly remember our employees and crews—many of whom were personally impacted by Katrina—working day and night during and following the storm, first to lead response and recovery efforts and later to support a long and strategic rebuild. It was a true display of human resilience and heroic work in the face of horrific conditions, and it was essential to bringing back our communities by powering schools, grocery stores, gas stations, businesses, and homes.

I take pride in knowing our work helped turn the Gulf Coast into one of the nation’s greatest comeback stories in recent memory, and I know just how much work went into getting us there. Since that time, Entergy has invested billions of dollars into building weather-resilient infrastructure and hardening our grid to withstand Mother Nature’s worst.

Recovery from a storm like Hurricane Katrina does not happen overnight. However, our customers, industries, opportunity, and hope returned to the region, and the Gulf South today is the envy of much of the country and the world.

We’ve been tested plenty of times during recent years, including by Hurricanes Francine and Beryl just last year and by Ike, Harvey, Laura, Zeta, Ida, and many others in years prior. Our team captures lessons learned from every storm and every restoration effort as we work to improve customer outcomes and harden our infrastructure against future threats. We were proud to receive our 50th EEI Emergency Response Award earlier this year, recognizing the dedication and excellence of our power restoration workers during and after Francine.

“I take pride in knowing our work helped turn the Gulf Coast into one of the nation's greatest comeback stories in recent memory…”

EP: Can you discuss the culture that you’ve instilled at Entergy during your time as CEO?

DM: Our vision at Entergy is: “We power life.” That includes, but extends well beyond, the essential power that we provide for our customers and communities. It means we actively pursue economic development opportunities to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve. It also means we provide our employees with competitive compensation, opportunities for professional development, and work that makes a difference. And, it means we support our communities through a variety of philanthropic and advocacy efforts.

We are committed to upholding a system of shared values that guides our interactions with customers, employees, and other stakeholders. These values reflect the acronym STAIR: safety, teamwork, always learning, integrity, and respect. This serves as the backbone of our workplace culture and allows us to deliver long-term, sustainable value for every stakeholder on our path to becoming the premier electric company.

At Entergy, we also adhere to what we call our Code of Entegrity. This isn’t just a set of rules for employees—it’s an embodiment of our collective commitment to ethical conduct, fair business practices, and steadfast integrity. In all our interactions, we prioritize honesty and transparency, and we know that commitment starts from the top down. All our employees, myself included, are expected to demonstrate behaviors like making our customers more successful, continuously seeking improvement, collaborating and sharing knowledge, being accountable for results, and recognizing and rewarding outcomes.

It’s these sorts of commitments that have shaped Entergy into the institution that it is today. Earlier this year, we were honored to be named to Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies list and the JUST 100 rankings by JUST Capital and CNBC, recognizing the top 100 companies in the United States for serving customers, employees, communities, the environment, and other stakeholders. It’s validating to receive this recognition, and it’s rewarding to see the impact that a strong culture has on our employees and our communities.

EP: You mentioned service to your communities. Service is foundational to Entergy as a company and to the industry as a whole. Can you share more about your community engagement strategies and how you give back in the areas that you serve?

DM: Giving back to those we serve is in our DNA, and we’ve aligned our corporate social responsibility and philanthropic efforts with the significant needs of our region. I mentioned that 40 percent of those we serve live at or below the poverty line. About half of our 3 million customers have a combined household income below $60,000 per year.

Through strategic partnerships with our community advocates, we implemented a range of initiatives aimed at addressing poverty, promoting education and workforce development, providing financial assistance to vulnerable customers, improving our communities, and caring for the environment.

Since 2018, we’ve delivered more than $100 million annually in economic benefits to our communities through philanthropy, volunteerism, and advocacy. These efforts come through in a number of ways. When temperatures soared last summer, we donated $3 million to help low-income customers become more energy efficient and save money on their bills. Our Beat the Heat program helped our most vulnerable customers receive bill payment assistance, cooling fans, energy efficiency kits, home weatherization improvements, and support from our community partners.

Employee engagement has been critical to our impact as an organization. Entergy employees contributed more than 122,000 volunteer hours last year to a variety of local organizations working to make a meaningful difference and improve the quality of life in our communities. Our legal department alone contributed more than 4,900 hours of community service, collaborating with EEI and the Pro Bono Institute to organize EmPOWERING Pro Bono Day, offering customers pro bono legal assistance on a range of issues.

Additionally, our focus on supporting education and workforce development is critical to our communities—and to our industrial customers, who are bringing new opportunities that demand specialized skillsets. Through our Power of Prosperity program, we support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and students through academic scholarships, facility grants and endowments, workforce development programs, internship opportunities, and access to resources and financial assistance.

Last year, we announced a 10-year, $20-million commitment to elevate and empower HBCUs and their students across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The Entergy Charitable Foundation also issued a $2-million grant to Jackson State University to develop a cybersecurity workforce training hub, which will help prepare students to fill the critical security positions that will be vital to our industry’s success as we move forward.

EP: You joined Entergy 27 years ago as an associate in strategic planning and special projects and subsequently advanced through the company. What advice would you give young workers today who may aspire to be among the next generation of energy leaders?

DM: It’s an inspiring time to be in the energy industry—electrification is on the rise, new industry demands are becoming a reality, and we’re facing more natural disasters than ever before. Thirty years ago, when I began my career at Entergy, the excitement was different but also there. For those considering a lifelong career at an electric company, I’d say: Never become comfortable in what you do. The environment will always evolve. The job will change, but the criticality of what we deliver requires a steadfast passion. It’s what brings me great joy in coming to work every day—deeply respecting what we do for our customers and communities, and complete admiration for my fellow teammates who show up day after day to keep the machine going.

We believe that a top-performing, highly skilled workforce that draws employees from a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives allows Entergy to build a stronger team and enables us to better serve our customers. By creating a culture where everyone is given the tools, resources, support, and opportunity to contribute and thrive, we will reap the benefits for all our stakeholders of an engaged and empowered workforce—supported by a network of local suppliers—to deliver energy for a better future.

Powering and empowering the people in our region is one of the best ways Entergy can contribute to an improved quality of life in our communities.

“The job will change, but the criticality of what we deliver requires a steadfast passion.”

EP: Throughout your career, where have you looked for advice or inspiration?

DM: I have found advice and inspiration from many diverse places in my career. I have been privileged to have tremendous leaders and peers who taught me about our business, risk, and people. I have drawn inspiration from unconventional sources, like my children’s elementary school teachers on something as simple as how to make meetings more effective or timely.

I have had terrific partners outside of the company who have taught me how to navigate tricky projects or manage transformative initiatives. My family has taught me about the importance of community, how to think about what the community is experiencing, and how it might impact my coworkers.

And, I read a lot, so I pick things up from books, as well. I really value the notion that I can get ideas from anywhere. That gives me the ability, and sometimes the permission, to engage the world while also thinking about what I do professionally.

Committed to Resilience and Reliability

EEI member companies know that a secure, resilient energy grid is our nation’s first line of defense against extreme weather and other threats to America’s energy security. It’s why our members have invested more than $1.3 trillion over the past decade to enhance our critical energy infrastructure—and will commit more than $200 billion this year alone to make the grid stronger, smarter, cleaner, more dynamic, and more secure.

Our industry faces rapid demand growth, a shifting policy and regulatory landscape, evolving customer needs, and a wave of technological innovation that is changing the way we do business. Yet, our commitment to resilience and reliability remains constant. As we reflect on last year’s devastating storm and wildfire seasons, we know that keeping the lights on and our customers and communities safe will be paramount as we head into the summer months.

That’s one of the reasons I find it fitting that our industry’s leaders will be joining government and privatesector partners in New Orleans for EEI 2025, our annual conference and thought leadership forum. New Orleans is a beautiful and vibrant city that exemplifies resilience and knows as well as any the catastrophic potential of Mother Nature.

This upcoming August will mark 20 years since Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. The magnitude of the storm captured attention the world over, and it prompted electric companies, city planners, federal and state officials, volunteers, charitable organizations, and others to come together to carry out one of the most extensive rebuild and recovery efforts in U.S. history.

As an industry, we take great pride in sharing resources and information. What we learned from Katrina and the storms and events that followed is the power of partnership. It takes all of us working together to strengthen community resilience and to prepare for and respond to the impacts of events that threaten reliability.

It’s why we engage in year-round resilience, restoration, and business continuity planning and why we continue to make strategic and significant investments in new technologies and critical adaptation, hardening, and resilience initiatives. Our customers depend on reliable access to electricity and on safe and swift restorations when outages do occur.

We’ve seen the benefits of these efforts across the country, particularly last year when Hurricanes Helene and Milton tested our industry’s storm response and mutual assistance capabilities. The storms struck two weeks apart along the Gulf Coast of Florida, leaving catastrophic damage in their wake as Helene carved into Georgia, the Carolinas, and beyond and as Milton cut across the Florida peninsula.

The storms collectively caused more than $113 billion in damage, and, yet, we saw that areas that had made significant investments in weather-resilient infrastructure fared better during the storms and had shorter restoration times when outages occurred.

That’s also been true in New Orleans, where Entergy helped lead efforts to build back stronger in the aftermath of Katrina. After the storm cut power to one-third of the company’s service territory, damaging 3,000 miles of transmission lines, 30,000 miles of distribution lines, and 17,400 distribution poles, Entergy made extensive investments to keep the community safe during future extreme weather events. The company worked with regulators and community leaders to develop a plan to enhance grid resilience. 

Those grid hardening efforts continue under Entergy Chair and CEO Drew Marsh and have helped New Orleans build back stronger than ever. They also are helping to increase reliability while helping to keep customer bills as low as possible over the long term, minimizing the repairs needed following storms and mitigating the lost economic activity that results from prolonged outages.

Ready for the Demand Arriving Now

Resilience will be a featured topic of conversation during mainstage keynote discussions, breakout sessions, and programming in The Hub at EEI 2025. I am eager to hear from Occidental President and CEO Vicki Hollub, Oracle CEO Safra Catz, technology thought leader and former AMD President Victor Peng, and the rest of our distinguished lineup of speakers—and for them to learn more about the work underway in our industry.

And, while attending the New Orleans conference will be among my final duties as EEI’s interim President and CEO, I am confident that the industry is well-positioned to deliver an energy grid that is reliable, weather-resilient, responsive, and ready for the demand arriving now.

I am proud to pass the reins to Drew Maloney, who will begin his work as EEI’s new president and CEO on July 1. Drew assumes this mantle at an exciting and critical time for our industry, and I am confident that his proven record of navigating some of the nation’s most complex policy landscapes will be invaluable as our industry works to meet growing demand for electricity and to deliver the reliable, resilient energy future that our customers expect and deserve.

Dominion Energy volunteers clean a Bumpass Volunteer Fire Department fire truck. (Photo: Dominion Energy)

Like many electric companies, Dominion Energy is a public service company.

That means providing the reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy that powers customers every day. Dominion Energy strives to make a positive impact in the communities we serve.

Corporate volunteerism is one of the ways we keep the public’s best interest at the forefront of what we do.

Dominion Energy celebrated National Volunteer Week in April, but we remain active in our communities all year long.

Here are three reasons why corporate volunteerism matters in the energy industry:

1. Volunteerism shows the community that you care about more than business metrics.

At its core, volunteering is all about helping others. When you help others, you’re demonstrating concern for your community’s wellbeing. That authentic engagement builds trust, which is so important to our industry as we work to meet customers’ evolving needs.

In 2024, Dominion Energy staff and retirees logged more than 110,000 volunteer hours in our service areas across multiple states.

For example, our volunteer teams:

• Planted over 17,000 native saplings with Friends of the Rappahannock.
• Supported the Bumpass Volunteer Fire Department with maintenance and cleanup.
• Built homes with Hanover and King William Habitat for Humanity.
• Helped with a backpack drive and shoe donations to support students in need.
• Painted fences and installed posts for therapeutic horse paddocks with the Ohana Preservation Foundation.

More than 6,300 of our volunteers spent time assisting nearly 800 organizations. Some more than once! Are you measuring the impact that your company is having on the customers and communities you serve?

Dominion Energy employees engage in several different volunteer efforts throughout the year to support their customers and communities. (Photo: Dominion Energy)

2. Volunteerism engages employees.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, volunteer programs help boost job satisfaction, improve morale, and retain employees.

As the energy industry experiences rapid change, maintaining an engaged workforce is critical to longevity and success.

The key to a strong corporate volunteer program is to support staff in the causes they care about.

Consider offering paid time off or project grants to encourage employee volunteer efforts.

For example, Dominion Energy staff receive up to eight hours of paid volunteer time annually, as well as an opportunity to apply for an Employees in Action volunteer grant of up to $2,500 to support a project that they care about.

We’ve also had success setting up a volunteer platform with a database of potential projects and scheduling tools to make it easier for employees to get involved.

Such strategies empower staff to make a difference where they work and live. Plus, this approach demonstrates your commitment to service.

3. Volunteerism strengthens community connections.

Volunteering brings people together.

When staff members volunteer in the community, they have a chance to build meaningful relationships.

Leverage volunteerism to partner with nonprofits and charitable groups in your service area that align with your company values. Doing so will put you closer to the people you serve, providing an opportunity to learn more about their needs and how you can help.

For example, Dominion Energy partnered with organizers and talent from a music festival in Norfolk, Va., to lead an energy efficiency renovation at the home of a local senior citizen in need of bill assistance. I joined several Dominion Energy lineworkers and other team members to assist with landscaping, fence work, and other tasks while a team of contractors and energy partners upgraded the homeowner’s aging HVAC system, installed a new heat pump, performed necessary duct work, and replaced lighting and attic insulation, among other repairs. The festival artists who joined us used their influence and media interviews to raise awareness of the energy assistance programs that Dominion Energy and its partners make available to the community.

Collaboration amplifies your impact.

Volunteerism shows care for your community, engages employees, and strengthens connections with your customers, says Byrd. (Photo: Dominion Energy)

Additionally, by coupling volunteer efforts with charitable donations, your company can leave an even greater mark on the community. For example, through our Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, EnergyShare, and other programs, Dominion Energy contributed $46.3 million in 2024 to community causes.

During National Volunteer Week and beyond, it is so important for our industry to commit to helping our customers and communities with our time and talents.

Ultimately, volunteer efforts improve the quality of life for customers and strengthen our communities.

That is what public service is all about.

Tonya Byrd is the senior policy director at Dominion Energy who manages community engagement. She is the 2019 recipient of the company’s Benjamin J. Lambert III Volunteer of the Year—Community Vitality award.

Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va., provides regulated electricity service to 3.6 million homes and businesses in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and regulated natural gas service to 500,000 customers in South Carolina. The company is one of the nation’s leading developers and operators of regulated offshore wind and solar power and the largest producer of carbon-free electricity in New England. The company’s mission is to provide the reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy that powers its customers every day. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.

Electric Perspectives (EP): What are some of your proudest accomplishments from your decades of service in the electric power industry?

John Larsen (JL): As I look back on my career, I feel a strong sense of pride being part of a company that lives its values and purpose. I was fortunate to have many roles during my career. Each one helped me develop new skills and provided me with opportunities to collaborate with new members of our team.

Our purpose—“serving customers and building stronger communities”—is simple, yet it is very powerful. These six words say so much about the work that we do and the difference that we make. When we live our values and are guided by our purpose, good things happen for our customers, communities, and each other.

As I moved into the role of CEO, I wanted to prioritize my passion for our purpose while charting a course for a sustainable energy future, which we call our Clean Energy Blueprint. It serves as a roadmap that guides our renewable generation strategy, helps to shape our customer-focused investments, creates a healthier environment, and encourages innovation. Our goal is to provide customers with more choice, convenience, and control of their energy future.

I also am proud of our employees and retirees, who are amazing ambassadors for our company and our industry. They live, work, and play in the communities that we proudly serve. It is only through their dedication and passion that we succeed, and their connection to customers is incredible. Simply put, I am proud to say, “I work for Alliant Energy.”

Larsen (second from left) meets with response crews following a derecho that damaged large sections of Alliant Energy's service territory in 2020.

EP: Can you speak to the importance of this customer- and community-first mentality, for Alliant Energy and for the broader industry?

JL: At Alliant Energy, each day starts and ends with the customer in mind. Starting by deeply understanding our customers and their unmet needs, the team at Alliant Energy develops new products and services designed to deliver value to customers. We are focused on powering beyond the challenges of today, thinking about the futures of the communities that we proudly serve.

I am proud of our employees’ dedication, passion, and creative thinking as we shape the future of energy for our customers across Iowa and Wisconsin. Prioritizing customers also is the reason we established our charitable foundation, to support programs in our communities that address hunger and housing inequities, environmental stewardship, workforce development, and community safety and wellbeing services. Creating spaces where people and families can come together and create community through our corporate giving has been a hallmark of our work.

Our industry played an instrumental role during the pandemic in keeping our customers and communities connected with safe, reliable, and resilient energy. When so many elements in the world were uncertain in all our lives, our industry rose to the occasion, just like we do during extreme weather events. We cared for our neighbors and ensured everyone had the energy resources they needed, all while keeping our employees and customers safe.

EP: Alliant Energy has scaled up investments in wind and solar generation and embraced forward-looking emissions-reductions goals as part of its Clean Energy Blueprint. Do you see a connection between the delivery of resilient, clean energy and Alliant Energy’s efforts to prioritize its customers and communities?

JL: The energy sector is quickly becoming an industry driven by customer choice and preference. Building cleaner energy infrastructure, focusing on customer affordability, and investing in a seamless and personalized customer experience are a few of the core strategies our employees are working on each day.

As we developed our approach to diversifying our energy generation resources, we did not want to be driven by policy—instead, we wanted to remain guided by our customers. Putting our customers at the center of our planning enables us to shape policies that make sense for them. We strive to stay ahead and look over the horizon, because I am a firm believer that there is a cost to doing nothing. Sitting idle is not a strategy.

Our Clean Energy Blueprint is helping us diversify our energy generation mix while making smarter investments in our energy grid, including into battery storage systems. Our customers have asked us to keep clean and reliable energy top of mind while balancing the need for affordability, and we’ve heard them. In addition, our investments have delivered sustainable benefits by creating new jobs, providing new sources of local revenues, and fostering economic development.

Being in the Midwest, we are proud to partner with the agriculture community and many farmers across Iowa and Wisconsin. We are working with these groups to bring renewable energy projects to life—delivering economic benefits to our communities while delivering clean energy to our customers.

We know and understand the importance of being good stewards of the land. Serving rural customers for more than 100 years has kept us keenly aware of the need to coexist with our environment. It is one of the many reasons that Alliant Energy is investing in agrivoltaics—the study of crop or livestock production underneath or adjacent to solar panels. We are working with Iowa State University (ISU) and the University of Wisconsin on innovative projects that will advance research in this field.

As an example, one project with ISU near Ames, Iowa, is designed to demonstrate the types of crops that can grow—and thrive—under or near solar panels. This study will examine variables including panel types and mounting heights, and it will give us more information on the connections among energy output, crop production, and impacts on pollinator habitats.

“The energy sector is quickly becoming an industry driven by customer choice and preference.”

EP: You helped lead EEI’s CEO Task Force on Broadband. What role can electric companies play in helping to bring broadband to unserved and underserved communities?

JL: I was honored when Tom Kuhn asked me to lead EEI’s Broadband Task Force. My work on broadband was centered on the second part of our purpose: building stronger communities. I grew up in a small town, and I can recall how important it was to have strong schools, strong community pride, and strong services.

While the internet did not exist in my younger days, the principle of access to services like virtual healthcare, online education opportunities, and innovation with technology is now foundational. It is quite clear that communities need and expect Alliant Energy to help them build stronger communities. Chairing that task force was an easy fit and very enjoyable.

As energy companies with strong connections to our customers and a long history of efficiently constructing essential infrastructure, our industry is well-positioned to help address the middle-mile challenge.

Many companies, including Alliant Energy, have begun investing in technology to enhance connections between electric facilities and devices to make the energy grid smarter, more resilient, and more secure. With proper planning, electric companies can use available capacity on their fiber facility infrastructure—in partnership with last-mile internet service providers and economic development stakeholders—to make internet service more accessible and more affordable, to the communities and customers we serve.

With more than 800 miles of fiber facilities across Wisconsin and Iowa, we have and will continue to partner on mutually beneficial efforts to help connect our communities and customers with reliable and affordable internet and fiber services.

EP: You started your career as an engineer before advancing through the ranks at Alliant Energy and its affiliate companies. Given your background, what perspective can you offer on how our industry can continue to develop the careers of promising young professionals?

JL: When I started my career, I had ideas of the type of work I wanted to do. I wanted to solve problems and design systems that would help people connect to the safe and reliable energy they counted on. Throughout my career, I have found myself at what I like to call intersections.

Each intersection brought a new opportunity that did not always look like I thought it might—whether that was the project assignment, the state the work was in, or the size of the team with which I would be working. But, my openness to change allowed me to walk into each of those opportunities with curiosity to learn new things and to use my abilities to solve problems and grow. This led to new and larger opportunities along the way.

I have learned so much from others—people of all backgrounds and at all different points in their career journeys. Especially in the role I have now as Executive Chair, many people come to me for answers or advice. My job is to listen to the challenges that our teams are facing and help employees find answers. Most of the time, they already know.

My role today is to enable and to unleash the talent in others. As a leader, it is important to remember that you cannot do things alone. You must leverage the power and strength of the team.

EP: Extreme weather events are impacting large swaths of the country with increasing intensity and frequency. During your tenure at Alliant Energy, you helped guide the company through Winter Storm Uri, the 2020 derecho, and other natural disasters. What can you say about Alliant Energy’s and the industry’s need to prioritize reliability and resilience in the face of extreme weather?

JL: One thing I have learned about the uptick in storm activity over the years is that, while the Midwest was not built to withstand hurricane-force winds, its people are built to withstand anything. I was reminded of this after visiting several Iowa communities as the clouds lifted after the 2020 derecho windstorm, the largest storm event in our company’s history. While the devastation was greater than any picture could bring to life, the resilience I saw in our crews and customers was nothing short of remarkable.

We were proud to receive EEI’s Emergency Response Award for working collaboratively with mutual assistance crews to restore electricity following the derecho. Looking back, I am proud and grateful that we conducted this work safely and with the gracious support and patience of our customers.

Similarly, in 2021, after Winter Storm Uri, which brought extreme cold temperatures and record snowfall to parts of our service territory, our amazing employees came together to serve customers. As a result of their efforts—coupled with smart investments we’ve made to ensure reliability and resilience and proactive planning by our energy markets team—we not only weathered the storm, but we continued to supply reliable and affordable energy throughout the storm and shielded our customers from significant rate increases.

These storms, and the increased frequency of them, illustrate why continued, proactive grid investments are needed to provide the reliable and resilient energy that our customers and communities count on.

Our customers have seen the benefits of our forward-thinking investments, including our undergrounding efforts. We have now placed more than 25 percent of our distribution grid underground, with plans to continue this work across our service territory in the coming years. Our communities are counting on us to plan ahead and to keep the lights on and the natural gas flowing, allowing them to focus on what matters most to them when Mother Nature is having a bad day.

“These storms, and the increased frequency of them, illustrate why continued, proactive grid investments are needed...”

EP: Thomas Edison once said, “To have a great idea, have a lot of them.” What, or who, have been some of your greatest sources of ideas, inspiration, or creativity throughout your career?

JL: My ideas have typically come from listening to employees and our customers. I have always enjoyed spending time at field locations—interacting with employees and our customers—and hearing how we can improve how we deliver our product and better serve our customers and communities.

As I would reflect on their words, it was clear to me that the foundation of great ideas came from common-sense comments. I felt that our success would be enhanced if our plans were simple to understand and execute. Our employees are so committed to customers. I have always enjoyed spending time with members of our team, and this is something that I will miss dearly in retirement.