Investor-owned electric companies power the lives of nearly 250 million people—nearly 3 in 4 Americans. Every day, they connect more than 3,200 new households and more than 200 new businesses to the grid. They account for 5 percent of U.S. GDP and power the other 95 percent.

It’s no surprise, then, that hundreds of electric company CEOs and senior executives, policymakers and regulators, and technology leaders and innovators traveled to Las Vegas in June for EEI 2026, the industry’s premier conference and thought leadership forum.

At a time when affordability, grid reliability, and rapidly rising demand are dominating policy debates in Washington and across the country, EEI 2026 convened a diverse mix of attendees and leaders to discuss how electric companies are powering the energy of every day while keeping electricity reliable and as affordable as possible.

Happenings in The Hub

From fireside chats to panel discussions and tech talks, The Hub was EEI’s center for networking and technology-driven content. Among the topics on the agenda this year: 

• Powering the Energy of Every Day: Sessions will cover how the industry is delivering customer value and innovating to meet demand growth.
• Generation Landscape: Speakers will discuss America’s generation mix, the role of nuclear technologies, and the potential of virtual power plants.
• Resilience and Reliability: Topics will include grid flexibility, balancing reliability and affordability, and lessons learned from storm seasons past.
• AI+: AI technologies are driving energy demand while reshaping how electric companies serve customers and power the economy.
• Grid-Enhancing Technologies: Panels will focus on innovations that are driving grid intelligence and making the most of existing infrastructure.

Congratulations to Duke Energy, Winners of the 2026 Edison Award!

EEI awarded Duke Energy with the 98th Edison Award for its DeBary Hydrogen Production and Storage System. Presented annually and selected by a panel of former energy industry executives, the Edison Award is the electric power industry’s highest honor. The award was presented in Las Vegas during EEI 2026, the institute’s annual conference and thought leadership forum.

“On behalf of EEI and our member companies, I am proud to congratulate Duke Energy for winning this year’s Edison Award,” said EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney. “By transforming Florida sunshine into stored, on-demand power, this hydrogen project is advancing what’s possible for clean energy storage and helping Duke Energy meet rapidly increasing energy demand while keeping customer costs as low as possible.”

Baltimore Gas & Electric and The AES Corporation were named finalists for the award.

Learn more about this year's winner and finalists.

The investor-owned member electric companies of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) play a critical role in powering the lives of nearly 250 million Americans each day. Throughout 2025, EEI’s member companies showcased how they are working for their communities by helping to lower costs, supporting the nation’s economic growth, strengthening the energy grid, and investing in the future.

See below for some of the ways EEI member companies have showcased their commitment to their communities and workforces. EEI also will be sharing these stories on our social channels as we count down to 2026—find them on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Entergy: Data Center Drives Down Local Rates

As more AI data centers connect to the grid, Entergy showcases how the projects it powers will create direct benefits not just for customers, but for residents of the states it serves for generations to come.

Duke Energy: Significant Progress Restoring the Grid After Hurricane Helene

One year after Hurricane Helene devastated Asheville, N.C., Duke Energy highlights the significant progress made by its lineworkers to restrengthen the grid.

Exelon: Customer Relief Program Benefits Customers and Local Businesses

Exelon’s Customer Relief Fund helps low-income customers, which in turn benefits local businesses in its service territories—including Midnite Confections + Cupcakery in Baltimore, Md.

Puget Sound Energy: Apprenticeships Lead to Full-Time Employment

Puget Sound Energy’s Pathways to Apprenticeship series shares the different apprenticeships offered by the company, and features employees sharing their favorite parts of the job.

Pacific Gas & Electric: Customer Dollars Directly Contribute to Infrastructure Reliability

Through their “Your Energy Dollars at Work” series, Pacific Gas & Electric highlights how customers’ dollars directly contribute to infrastructure projects that keep the energy system safe, reliable, and climate-resilient.

Xcel Energy: Reliable Energy Powers Local Businesses Like Red Wings Shoes

For more than a century, Xcel Energy’s reliable, essential energy has powered the production of Red Wings Shoes’ high-quality leather boots. 

American Electric Power: Drones Help Power Reliability for Customers

The integration of drone technology has transformed how AEP Ohio maintains the grid—helping to prevent and shorten outages, improving operational efficiency, and keeping its crews and communities safe. 

Arizona Public Service: Employees Provide Live Bill Assistance During Phone Bank

In Summer 2025, Arizona Public Service partnered with local media to host a live phone bank, where employees took customer calls, answered questions, and offered on-the-spot ways to save on energy bills.

Con Edison: Reliable Service Keeps a Favorite Local Business Running

Mamitas, a local favorite in New York, depends on Con Edison’s reliable energy service to keep its equipment running smoothly and its freezers cold, so it can produce its fan-favorite ice pops.

This National Ice Cream Day, we’re honoring Mamita’s Ices — a 25-year NYC family business rooted in Dominican tradition. See how reliable energy keeps their sweet moments refreshingly cool everywhere: https://t.co/xT6MZRlrq7 pic.twitter.com/Py9vKfOrb9

— Con Edison (@ConEdison) July 20, 2025

Ameren – Restoring Customer Power After a Tornado Event

After a tornado hit Ameren’s service territory earlier this year, impacting energy infrastructure and customer homes and businesses, the company deployed 1,900 workers to quickly and safely restore power.

Hawaiian Electric: Employees Are the Fabric of the Community

Hawaiian Electric’s employees make up the fabric of the community and its commitment to its customers—including Mikey Burke and Kaulana Anderson, who were impacted by the Lahaina fires. 

ITC Transmission: Restoring Transmission Service After Severe Winter Weather

After severe winter weather swept across Michigan and affected 23 transmission lines and 17 substations, ITC Transmission crews coordinated with local partners and worked around the clock to safely and quickly restore transmission service.

OG&E: A Career Journey in Energy, From Internship to Engineering

Anne and Ayden share their OG&E career journeys from internships to full-time positions in engineering and operations. 

Southern Company: Making Significant Investments to Meet Demand Growth

Southern Company highlights the investments made in advanced technologies and renewable energy to meet the significant demand growth in its service territories. 

NorthWestern Energy – Osprey Conservation Work Featured in Children’s Book

NorthWestern Energy Content Development Specialist Erin wrote Oliver the Osprey, a children’s book that highlights the osprey conservation work NorthWestern Energy provides to help the company deliver a critical service and maintain reliability. 

The CenterPoint Energy Foundation in August donated $1 million to the Salvation Army to support emergency response in the Greater Houston area—part of investor-owned electric companies’ broader efforts to build and support crisis-response frameworks in the communities they serve.

“The CenterPoint Energy Foundation believes in the power of collaboration to build stronger, more resilient communities,” CenterPoint Energy's Executive Vice President and General Counsel Monica Karuturi said in a statement. “We know that these emergency situations can happen at any time.”

The five-year grant will help the Salvation Army serve vulnerable populations, including families, youth, seniors, and the unsheltered during crises and extreme weather events.

It’s the foundation’s latest effort to foster resilience across CenterPoint Energy’s service territory. Earlier this year, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation facilitated the donation of more than 20 backup generators to strategically significant locations throughout Houston and the surrounding counties. The foundation worked with state and local officials and Texas Offices of Emergency Management to ensure these generators would support the distribution of essential services like medical care, water, and food during emergencies.

EEI member companies invest heavily in the energy grid, building and fortifying critical energy infrastructure to withstand threats of all kinds. Additionally, lineworkers from EEI member companies are on the front lines during storms and other disasters, working to quickly restore power and hope when Mother Nature is at her worst. EEI issued its annual Emergency Response Awards in September, recognizing more than two dozen member companies that put forth outstanding efforts to safely and efficiently restore service to the public following a storm or natural disaster.

Behind the scenes, however, CenterPoint Energy is one of many electric companies investing heavily in their communities. During National Preparedness Month in September and throughout the year, EEI member companies are critical to crisis planning and community resilience projects, supporting local response networks and first responders.

The Duke Energy Foundation in June announced plans to commit $1.5 million through the 2025 Helping Emergency Response Organizations (HERO) grant program to boost community readiness and resilience, supporting local agencies and the American Red Cross throughout the company’s service territory in North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, and Kentucky.

The grants will support first responder training and the purchase of lifesaving equipment and technology to help during weather-related disaster planning and response.

“These grants are an investment in the resilience of our communities,” said Duke Energy Foundation President Amy Strecker. “When the unexpected strikes, our partners on the front lines need resources they can rely on—and we’re proud to help power their efforts.”

In September, Black Hills Energy issued $135,000 in Funds for Firefighters safety grants across Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The grants are designed to help local fire departments purchase protective equipment, specialized tools, and other first responder essentials.

“At Black Hills Energy, we believe that when we invest in those who protect our communities, we’re building a stronger, safer future for everyone,” Kevin Jarosz, vice president of Black Hills Energy Nebraska and Iowa operations, said in a statement.

Similarly, the We Energies Foundation announced in August that it would issue grants totaling $100,000 to help local first responders purchase lifesaving equipment and strengthen public safety. Since 2020, the We Energies Foundation has donated $500,000 to help police, fire, and emergency medical services agencies improve public safety across Wisconsin and Michigan.

“We are honored to continue our support of public safety agencies and the invaluable impact they make every day,” said We Energies Foundation President Beth Straka. “The important tools we help provide our first responders—from vital medical devices to heavy-duty equipment—can be critical in keeping people and our communities safe.”

Electric company-led community resilience projects can take many forms. Some come as one-time donations or grants, while others are set up to provide ongoing financial support over a longer period of time. The Portland General Electric Foundation in 2021 established the Responsive Philanthropy Fund to swiftly address community needs following crises. During a winter ice storm last year, the Fund distributed $50,000 to nonprofits that provided warming shelters and basic needs like food, clothing, and housing assistance to impacted customers.

Additionally, 2025 marked the eighth year of an ongoing partnership involving Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the California Fire Foundation. Through the partnership, $950,000 in grants will be issued this year to California-based fire departments and community organizations in support of wildfire safety and preparedness projects. And, PG&E and the PG&E Foundation committed $1.65 million to support the state’s Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program, which raises public awareness about wildfire safety and delivers resources to underserved communities in high fire-risk areas.

“The projects that these grants fund, such as creating defensible space, enabling fuel-reduction programs, and conducting fire-safety outreach campaigns, are essential across our service area and especially within underserved communities,” PG&E Senior Vice President for Wildfire, Emergency, and Operations Mark Quinlan said in a statement.

EEI member companies know that resilience is a team sport—and that effective and productive partnerships with government officials and local leaders produce better outcomes for customers when disaster strikes.

“These partnerships help ensure an efficient response, using the strengths and resources of both industry and government to restore power quickly and to support storm-affected communities and customers,” Southern Company Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Stan Connally wrote in an article for Electric Perspectives earlier this year. “By working together, we can mitigate the impact of disasters, enhance resilience, and expedite recovery efforts.”

Through their long-standing partnerships with federal, state, and local leaders and their ongoing engagement in mutual assistance, EEI member companies are actively engaged in crisis preparation and response efforts throughout the year. And, their engagement with the CEO-led Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council allows them to coordinate with government partners at the U.S. Departments of Energy and Homeland Security and the National Security Council to ensure industry and government alignment in preparing for and responding to national-level disasters and threats.

Learn more about the industry’s resilience initiatives at eei.org/mutual-assistance.

Dive into part one of the EEI 2025 highlights series on the latest Electric Perspectives podcast episode, featuring EEI Chair Calvin Butler, president and CEO of Exelon; Entergy Chair and CEO Drew Marsh; and Entergy Louisiana President and CEO Phillip May.

Congratulations to the 2025 Edison Award Winners!

Edison International and Southern California Edison are winners of the domestic Edison Award, and Fortis, Inc. has won the international Edison Award.

During EEI 2025, EEI interim President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn presented the 97th Edison Award, the electric power industry's highest honor.

The award is selected each year by a panel of former energy industry executives in recognition of distinguished leadership, innovation, and contributions to the advancement of the electric power industry. 

Learn more about this year's winners and finalists.

Left to right: Chris Harris, International Representative, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; Eliecer Viamontes, President and CEO, Entergy Texas; Harry Sideris, President and CEO, Duke Energy; Michele O'Connell, President and CEO, Orange & Rockland Utilities; EEI Chair Maria Pope, President and CEO, Portland General Electric; and Chris Womack, President and CEO, Southern Company.

In late February, leaders from EEI and America’s investor-owned electric companies joined state regulators, technology leaders, government officials, consumer advocates, and other industry and regulatory stakeholders at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ (NARUC’s) annual Winter Policy Summit in Washington, D.C.

“The purpose of this meeting is to assemble a group of key stakeholders to discuss the opportunities and challenges before us and how we can meet the demand that we are seeing in the electric power sector,” NARUC President and Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tricia Pridemore said during the summit’s opening session.

Throughout the four days of programming, more than 2,100 summit attendees heard about the considerable energy demand being generated by data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies; physical, cyber, and weather-related threats to America’s critical energy infrastructure; and how electric companies are working with the regulatory community to power Americans’ lives and businesses and to keep customer costs as low as possible.

“NARUC was borne out of a noble idea, that the regulatory policies that were taking shape in Washington, D.C., couldn’t effectuate policy over such a large country,” said NARUC Executive Director Tony Clark. “What happens here directly affects affordability and the reliability of our system.”

Diverse Stakeholder Group Joins Demand Roundtable

New to the NARUC agenda this year was a Demand Roundtable discussion. The session convened more than 20 state commissioners, electric company executives, and technology leaders from Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Walmart to discuss demand needs and to ensure industry and regulators are moving in lockstep to bring new technologies, generation, and transmission and distribution to the energy grid.

“We need speed, flexibility, and a willingness to be creative to find solutions for our customers,” Exelon Corporation Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Innocenzo said during the discussion, noting the industry’s dual priorities of meeting new customer demand while prioritizing service for existing customers and communities. “We have an obligation to maintain a grid that is safe, reliable, and affordable. We do not want to overburden any segment of our customers.”

To open the session, participants were polled on a series of questions to gauge their near- and long-term concerns about meeting demand growth. Nearly 1 in 3 representatives from electric companies and state commissions said they were very concerned about increasing demand from data centers, while 54 percent said they were somewhat concerned. Nearly 1 in 4 said significant upgrades are needed to existing infrastructure in their service territories to support projected growth.

Participants also were asked to list the biggest challenges that they see related to data center demand, and several common answers emerged: timelines involved with building new infrastructure, supply chain concerns, tariffs and cost allocation, and risks associated with first-of-a-kind technologies.

“There is substantial first-mover risk. Some of the investments we’re talking about are larger than entire companies,” said Duke Energy Senior Vice President for Pricing and Customer Solutions Lon Huber. “You can’t bet your company on these sorts of technologies. You can’t bet your service territory. There has to be some kind of partnership to support these technologies and ensure that electric companies aren’t solely bearing the risk.”

Unity of Effort and Message in Mutual Assistance

The first full day of the summit began with a discussion about mutual assistance and the power of partnership, moderated by Southern Company Chairman, President, and CEO Chris Womack and featuring International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers International Representative Chris Harris; Orange and Rockland President and CEO Michele O’Connell; EEI Chair Maria Pope, president and CEO of Portland General Electric (PGE); Duke Energy President Harry Sideris; and Entergy Texas Chair, President, and CEO Eliecer Viamontes.

“It is so important that we are starting this meeting with a discussion about mutual assistance,” said Womack. “This clearly demonstrates the role of what we do, the value of what we do, and it speaks to the value that we bring to customers and communities.”

Sideris and Viamontes discussed an active 2024 hurricane season, which included Hurricane Beryl’s impacts on Texas and Hurricanes Helene’s and Milton’s devastation to the Southeast. Sideris, whose hometown of Asheville, N.C., saw catastrophic damage from Helene, noted the storms impacted Duke Energy’s service territories across all six states that the company serves. He said the storm “caused the most damage that we’ve ever seen,” and he praised the army of mutual assistance workers who deployed to North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida to assist with storm response and recovery.

“There was a tremendous response from the industry, and it’s really in the DNA of our lineworkers and our companies. We had employees who lost homes and family members and came to work the next day to restore power,” Sideris said.

Viamontes stressed the importance of proactive communication with local officials and customers during storm response efforts, noting that Entergy Texas actively engaged with local media and held daily calls with elected officials during Beryl.

O’Connell was one of several on the panel who urged the regulatory community to support efforts to harden the grid and to make it more weather resilient, citing Orange and Rockland’s investments totaling $1 billion during the past 10 years in undergrounding overhead lines and installing submersible equipment.

Pope emphasized that wildfire mutual assistance is in many ways different from traditional storm response efforts but that some principles touted by other panelists still apply. She highlighted the use of early detection AI cameras and the increasing use of public safety power shutoffs in the West as efforts that potentially can mitigate catastrophic wildfires, as well as the need to engage with local officials to promote transparency.

“I never thought I’d know the chiefs of police in as many of our jurisdictions as I do today,” Pope said. “Unity of effort and unity of message are a hallmark of what we do in this industry. Mutual assistance demands leadership and coming together, not pointing fingers.”

‘Power Shifting to the States’

EEI Executive Vice President for Regulatory Affairs and International Programs Phil Moeller spoke during a series of events that EEI hosted on the sidelines of the summit, including at the EEI Women’s Breakfast. Moeller delivered remarks before and after a panel discussion about the industry’s commitment to reducing serious injuries and fatalities, moderated by Con Edison Vice President of Environment, Health, and Safety Venetia Lannon. The panel featured International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Fourth District International Vice President Gina Cooper, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations President Liz Shuler, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Chair Katie Sieben, and Pepco Holdings Chief Operating Officer Tamla Olivier.

The session featured panelists’ insights on recent trends, strategies to minimize incidents, the introduction of innovative safety metrics, and how a collaborative safety culture can support these efforts. The group discussed how to get at the heart of what causes incidents, how to implement effective reporting structures, and the importance of ongoing workforce training initiatives that help ensure safety.

“Zero incidents for our employees and our contractors, and zero public safety events: That’s always our goal,” Olivier said during the discussion.

Moeller also joined a NARUC Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment session, offering his federal policy predictions for 2025 and beyond.

He saw “an interesting dynamic of power shifting to the states, which we’re seeing through the actions of the Administration and the actions of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Mark Christie.” That power shift, Moeller said, would require states within the same regions to work together more closely to avoid creating patchwork regulatory frameworks.

“That takes time. That takes trust. Putting the effort in to bridge regional differences will be important,” he said.

Moeller also stressed the need for more dynamic rate structures that send better price signals to customers, the importance of customer education and engagement, and the progress that the industry has made on workforce development and skills training initiatives.

“That issue really used to worry me when I served on FERC. I’m more comfortable now that there’s a lot more going on,” he said, highlighting EEI’s work with groups like Veterans in Energy and the Center for Energy Workforce Development.

Left to right: Mark Birk, Chairman and President, Ameren Missouri; EEI Vice Chair Calvin Butler, President and CEO, Exelon Corporation; Steve Fleishman, Managing Director and Senior Analyst, Wolfe Research; Michael Haggarty, Associate Managing Director, Moody's Ratings; Teresa Ho Kim, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Asset Management; NARUC President Tricia Pridemore, Commissioner, Georgia Public Service Commission.

‘It’s Not Just About Demand Growth’

Several EEI member company CEOs joined NARUC sessions later in the week, including NiSource President and CEO Lloyd Yates, who participated in a fireside chat with Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Chairman Stephen DeFrank. Yates discussed the industry’s emphasis on an all-of-the-above energy strategy and his optimism for hydrogen blending, small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), and other emerging energy solutions.

“This is a huge economic development opportunity for this country. It’s a huge national security issue for this country,” Yates said. “We have to continue to put resources into nuclear and making SMRs work. We have to blend in renewables. Transmission investments are so important. And, we need more natural gas infrastructure. The energy transition looks different in every state, so you need to do the work and bring everyone to the table in every state.”

Later in the week, Ameren Missouri Chairman and President Mark Birk and EEI Vice Chair Calvin Butler, president and CEO of the Exelon Corporation, participated in a conversation about industry access to capital, joining Wolfe Research Senior Analyst Steve Fleishman, Moody’s Ratings Associate Managing Director Michael Haggarty, and J.P. Morgan Asset Management Managing Director Teresa Ho Kim.

Birk highlighted the need for proactive communication with regulators and members of the financial community, noting that Ameren Missouri regularly hosts power plant and facility tours to help stakeholders understand the size and scale of investments needed.

“If you’re able to show that the projects you’re working on directly benefit customers, and you can show the why, it makes it easier to work with regulators and with investors,” he said.

Butler noted that the electric power industry is the most capital-intensive in the country, with grid infrastructure investments totaling tens of billions of dollars each year. He said telling that story can be difficult sometimes because “we’re investing in things we hope you will never feel, like security.”

“It’s not just about demand growth. It’s about providing a system that everyone in this room can come to depend on. We all need to keep our eyes on the ball and stay on top of that,” Butler said.

Pope’s remarks reinforced common themes shared throughout CERAWeek, the annual gathering of thousands of industry, technology, and government leaders from around the world. Demand growth, technological innovation, and evolving policy and regulatory landscapes are changing how electric companies operate, but their focus on serving customers and building out a secure and resilient energy future remains constant.

Each year during CERAWeek, executives from EEI member companies are represented throughout the event’s hundreds of mainstage keynotes, fireside chats, tech talks, panel discussions, and leadership roundtables, and this year was no exception. Pope’s session, and others led by EEI member company leaders, highlighted this pivotal moment for the industry and how electric companies are adapting, innovating, and investing in critical energy infrastructure to better serve customers and keep pace with accelerating demand growth.

“In all my years coming to CERAWeek, I’ve never seen as much excitement around electric power,” S&P Global Commodity Insights Executive Director Douglas Giuffre said during one of the conference’s recap sessions, noting the industry’s and the technology sector’s focus on an “all of the above” energy strategy to meet demand projections fueled by data centers, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the reshoring of industrial and manufacturing activity, and the continued electrification of transportation and the broader economy.

The theme of this year’s conference was, “Moving ahead: Energy strategies for a complex world,” with programming focused on how major changes in domestic and international policy and the rise of new technologies are reshaping the global energy landscape.

Following are highlights and excerpts from this year’s conference:

‘The Demand Is Here Now’

NextEra Chairman, President, and CEO John Ketchum discusses the importance of a diverse energy mix and his company's planned infrastructure investments during a panel discussion. (Photo: CERAWeek by S&P Global)

In recent years, industry and technology thought leaders often spoke at CERAWeek about demand growth in a forward-looking tone, warning that investments will be needed in the near-term to prepare for what’s to come. However, the sense of urgency was clear this year, as AI-fueled data center construction has taken off across the country.

“It’s important we get this right. The demand is here now,” NextEra Chairman, President, and CEO John Ketchum said during a mainstage discussion on the first day of CERAWeek. “We’re in unprecedented times in our industry. We’re seeing a sixfold demand increase during the next 20 years compared with the previous 20.”

Ketchum emphasized NextEra’s all-of-the-above focus, noting the company’s interest in advanced nuclear technology as the seventh-largest nuclear operator in the world—and that the company just came off a record year in which it signed contracts to build more than 12 gigawatts of renewable generation.

He also stressed the importance of meeting this demand while keeping customer bills as low as possible—and the benefits of tax credits and other supportive public policies in pursuit of affordability.

“The tax credits and transferability provisions are so important to meeting demand in a cost-effective way,” Ketchum said. “If these credits went away, not only would we see a generation crunch, but the average American would see a 12-percent price hike. We need to avoid that.”

Later in the week, Entergy Louisiana President and CEO Phillip May stressed that demand growth is being felt all over the country and in areas that haven’t historically been known for their energy demands. Meta recently announced plans to build a $10-billion data center outside of Shreveport, La., and Entergy has worked in recent years to expand and upgrade infrastructure along the Mississippi River, with a new $5.8-billion Hyundai steel plant expected to open in the coming years.

“Massive investments are going to change the economic trajectory of parts of our state forever. Our state hasn’t always seen that sort of thing,” May said. “As we think about how we serve this load, all options need to be on the table, including assets near the end of their lives. We need to figure out how to squeeze out every last bit of economic juice from them that we can.”

‘Innovation Needs to Be Part of Culture’

National Grid CEO John Pettigrew shares his thoughts on AI and the industry's embrace of grid-enhancing technologies to maximize existing critical energy infrastructure.

This demand growth has forced the industry to scrap the concept of business as usual and has emphasized the need for innovation and a willingness to embrace new energy strategies and technologies. NextEra Energy Resources President and CEO Rebecca Kujawa, who recently announced plans to retire in late May, described solidifying innovation as part of the company’s culture during mainstage keynote remarks.

“We have an annual process where we ask everyone in the company how we can be better, lower costs, and unlock revenue. And, every year, I’m amazed by the creativity and ingenuity that comes out of that process,” Kujawa said. “We’ve created $1 billion in annual revenue and cost savings through doing this every year. Innovation needs to be part of culture. You need to be willing to take risks, learn, and continually get better.”

This need for innovation has spurred a wave of industry and technology partnerships, and it has opened the door to new business models. National Grid Ventures, an investment arm of National Grid that supports grid-enhancing technologies and innovative energy solutions, hosted a series of tech talks and demonstrations throughout CERAWeek that highlighted the types of advanced vegetation management, dynamic line rating technology, and AI-powered systems that it invests in.

“The intention behind National Grid Ventures was that it would give us access to the types of technologies and innovations that are over the hill. We can invest in them, grant them access to our networks, and improve our own processes,” said National Grid CEO John Pettigrew, noting the company’s plans to commit $100 million to AI startups to help modernize the grid. “These technologies are allowing us to think about meeting demand in a different way. We need to embrace digital and AI.”

Industry leaders also highlighted innovation in their relationships with government and regulatory partners. Dominion Energy Chair, President and CEO Bob Blue joined a dinner session featuring Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Commonwealth Fusion Systems Co-Founder and CEO Bob Mumgaard to discuss the world’s first commercial fusion power plant, which currently is under construction in Chesterfield County, Va.

“If this is technology that is proven out, and the financials and operations work, it is something that our company and our industry could deploy at scale,” Blue said of the nuclear fusion reactor.

Blue and others throughout CERAWeek noted the risks associated with building first-of-its-kind technology—with Governor Youngkin saying he didn’t want to be remembered as “the governor that unleashed a small sun on Virginia.” To help mitigate risk, many stressed the need for new partnerships with government and private-sector partners.

“Planning for the energy future is going to require more speed and more creativity,” Southern Company Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Stan Connally said during a CERAWeek breakfast panel. “If we can find many partners in these conversations, that will be a big piece of the roadmap to success. Finding the right balance of safe, clean, reliable, and affordable is what we’re all after.”

‘Technology Is Forcing Us to Rethink Everything’

EEI Chair Maria Pope (right), president and CEO of Portland General Electric, advocates for siting and permitting reform at all levels of government during a panel discussion.

Although renewable energy generation remained a popular topic of discussion at this year’s CERAWeek, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Mark Christie warned during a keynote discussion that the industry’s ongoing need for 24/7 generating resources represented a “rendezvous with reality,” of sorts.

This theme of grounding future-looking projections in the technology, policy, and regulatory realities of today was highlighted throughout the week. Pope noted that, despite the industry’s need for critical energy infrastructure of all kinds, siting and permitting backlogs can add years to project development cycles. She stressed the need for reform at all levels of government.

“Siting is very local, so we need to tackle that at the local level,” Pope said. “And, we have environmental agencies in each one of our states, not just at the federal level. We need to look at where the need is rather than just tweak federal legacy processes.”

Edison International President and CEO Pedro J. Pizarro, meanwhile, highlighted during a panel discussion that the industry is attempting to expand and optimize the grid while responding to a growing and intensifying list of physical, cyber, and weather-related threats.

“The economy will be relying more and more on the grid, so it is so important that we increase the resilience of the grid today and in the future,” Pizarro said, noting that AI can be an essential tool to defend the grid despite the risks that technology poses in the hands of bad actors. “One of our big messages is that grid security is national security. Across the industry, we’re thinking about defense in depth. We’re not pretending we can defend against everything, but we are building multiple layers of defense and making AI front and center in terms of grid design.”

And, AES Corporation President and CEO Andrés Gluski highlighted the unique needs of energy-intensive customers like data centers—and the fact that these facilities can be built, in some cases, in fewer than two years, when timelines to build new transmission and generation facilities can be significantly longer given labor, supply chain, and siting and permitting challenges.

“You’re not going to build a $50-billion data center and have it backed up by something you are 99 percent sure will be available. Energy has to be 100 percent available,” Gluski said. “Most of the interconnection queue is renewable right now, and that’s mostly time to power. If you want a new natural gas plant, it may be four or five years until it’s operational. With renewables, it may be two to three years. Time to power is very different for these customers if you’re talking about the difference of several years.”

Still, industry leaders were overwhelmingly optimistic throughout CERAWeek that they are on track to meet customer needs and that new AI and grid-enhancing technologies will continue to revolutionize how they do business.

“Technology is forcing us to rethink everything. How we operate, how we legislate, how we regulate,” Pope said. “It’s so exciting, because we used to talk about some of these technologies being part of the bulk power system. But, we’re at the point where they’re being integrated into distribution and impacting customers directly.”

Industry leaders and their technology, government, and regulatory partners will discuss these and other trends at EEI 2025, EEI’s annual conference and thought leadership forum, which begins on June 2 in New Orleans. To learn more about the event and to register, visit eei.org/2025.

Edison International President and CEO Pedro J. Pizarro (right) and AES Corporation President and CEO Andrés Gluski (second from right) discuss energy security, innovation, and data center-fueled demand growth.

Electric Perspectives (EP): Demand growth is creating a need for new critical energy infrastructure of all kinds, setting the stage for what could be one of the most transformational moments for American infrastructure since the years immediately following World War II. How is our industry responding?

Maria Pope (MP): Everything that we do and the way that we work is changing at a dramatic pace.

First, demand for electricity is growing at a rate we haven’t seen in decades. Data centers are rapidly expanding to meet the needs of emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and are expected to consume an extraordinary amount of energy.

When you consider that a search on ChatGPT or another large language model requires 10 times the energy of a traditional search engine, it is easy to understand why. At the same time, more sectors of the economy and more homes and businesses are continuing to electrify.

Second, tremendous federal, state, and private sector resources have been brought to bear to onshore manufacturing and to enhance America’s global competitiveness and security, especially in the high-tech sectors. Since the signing of federal legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022, investment in American manufacturing has nearly doubled, according to a report from the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Third, extreme weather is underscoring the urgent need to enhance the resilience of the nation’s energy grid. Hurricanes, ice storms, wildfires, and other events are occurring with increasing frequency and intensity. In response, electric companies are deploying significant capital and are becoming tech-forward businesses with a renewed focus on innovation.

EEI member companies are bringing new infrastructure, generation facilities, batteries, and countless innovative projects online at an incredible pace. We will continue to strengthen our infrastructure and build a more resilient, cleaner generation fleet. And, we will work to accomplish all of this in a way that is cost-effective for customers.

“EEI member companies are bringing new infrastructure, generation facilities, batteries, and countless innovative projects online at an incredible pace.”

EP: What are you prioritizing during your tenure as chair of EEI?

MP: I am honored to serve on the EEI Board alongside impressive leaders from across the industry. We are working together to advance our enduring value proposition: providing safe, reliable, secure, and increasingly clean energy to the customers we serve, while working to keep costs as low as possible. As I began my term, the Board developed multi-year strategic priorities.

The first priority is enhancing and strengthening grid reliability, resilience, and security. We are facing ever-increasing physical and cybersecurity threats while also managing incredible growth. To respond effectively, we need to increase the speed at which we bring on new generation, accelerate investments in our distribution and transmission networks, and adopt new technologies to enhance the resilience of our systems.

At the same time, we are driving a customer-focused vision and are strong advocates for policy solutions that benefit customers. The Inflation Reduction Act and its technology-neutral investment and production tax credits, as well as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, are powerful accelerators. These policies will help support customer affordability and create millions of jobs during the next decade, and they should be protected.

Our industry must redouble stakeholder education and engagement efforts to preserve these tax credits and other provisions of these laws that are directly benefiting customers. We also must work to secure a repairs fix in the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax, prioritize siting and permitting reform, and advance other initiatives aimed at fostering a supportive policy and regulatory environment. Underpinning much of our work is our belief that the investor-owned business model is the most efficient and economical way for our industry to serve customers. 

We are continuing to educate policymakers and other stakeholders on our regulatory compact and on the value our model delivers through efficient f inancing of important investments in our national infrastructure. EEI member companies are driving economic growth and are pivotal to national security during this transformational time.

Maria Pope speaks at EEI 2024 with Antonio Neri, president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, on energy demand and the changing technology industry.

EP: Addressing energy security concerns also is a top priority for EEI and our member companies. How is the industry approaching this challenge?

MP: We have a clear responsibility to our customers to ensure reliable electricity, even as we respond to significant demand growth and changing customer needs.

EEI strongly advocates for the continued development of diverse energy resources—including natural gas, renewables, and new and existing nuclear energy—as well as grid-enhancing technologies that support flexible demand and increasing capacity. EEI member companies also are coming together to address resource adequacy concerns.

PGE and our peers in the West have had success balancing the demand and supply of electricity at lower costs to customers by participating in collaborative efforts like the Western Energy Imbalance Market, which delivered more than $6.25 billion in cumulative economic benefits between 2014 and 2024.

For PGE, regional connectivity and cooperation among electric companies enables us to draw on wind resources from Montana, batteries in California, hydropower in the Pacific Northwest, and solar arrays in the desert Southwest. It all comes together to improve reliability and stabilize energy markets.

Addressing energy security and resource adequacy concerns will require significant capital investment. EEI member companies have invested more than $1.3 trillion during the past decade in critical energy infrastructure projects of all kinds, spending more than $170 billion each year to make the energy grid stronger, smarter, cleaner, and more secure.

PGE’s Coffee Creek battery storage facility is one of several new projects that is helping the company improve grid operations by matching available supply to current demand.

EP: How are electric companies using AI and other advanced technologies in their own operations?

MP: Technology is revolutionizing our industry, making us smarter, more efficient, and more effective. We are using technological innovations, particularly AI, to shorten design timelines, accelerate project completions, and optimize complex grid operations.

At PGE, to name one example, we created an “AI Design Review Bot” that has reduced our engineering cycle times twelve-fold. AI is critical as distributed energy resources (DERs) become even more common. AI already is helping to balance the surging demand for power and to enhance grid management.

PGE estimates as much as 25 percent of the power needed on the hottest and coldest days of the year could be supplied by customer-sited DERs—such as solar panels, batteries, and EVs—as soon as 2030.

PGE’s wind resources are bringing geographic and resource diversity to the company’s generation portfolio.

EP: Last year, we saw the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton across the Southeast, in addition to catastrophic wildfires and myriad other extreme weather events across the country. What strategies are electric companies pursuing to mitigate risks posed by these events?

MP: The impacts of extreme weather on lives and livelihoods, local economies, and critical infrastructure are increasing. That’s why all EEI member companies are devoting significant time and resources year-round to prepare for and respond to extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and less predictable.

EEI member companies dedicate more than $30 billion annually to adaptation, hardening, and resilience initiatives to strengthen the nation’s transmission and distribution infrastructure. This includes using innovative technologies like AI-enabled cameras, weather stations, and advanced modeling programs that help companies prepare for and respond to weather-related events, particularly in high-risk areas.

It is worth noting that many of these investments supplement the work of public safety agencies, strengthening communities against a variety of threats. Wildfires also are a growing challenge, affecting more communities across the U.S. each year.

From the southwest to the northeast, there’s a need to do more to prevent wildfires before they happen and to protect affected communities from long-term costs. We need a comprehensive national strategy that emphasizes community protection, wildfire prevention, responsible investment, and rapid recovery.

There is also an urgent need for long-term policy solutions that will require cooperation with regulators, legislators, insurers, public agencies, and many other stakeholders. Wildfires truly are a societal problem that requires societal solutions.

While the challenges of extreme weather are formidable, our industry is in this together. When a major event hits—whether it is a tornado, hurricane, ice storm, or wildfire—we actively support one another through mutual assistance efforts. After Hurricane Helene, an army of more than 50,000 workers from nearly every state in the country deployed to the Southeast to help with recovery and restoration efforts. Just two weeks later, when Hurricane Milton made landfall, mutual assistance crews and resources were redirected to Florida.

These events collectively represent one of the nation's largest-ever mutual-assistance mobilizations, and our industry’s coordination with federal officials and other stakeholders through the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council was critical to delivering a safe and efficient storm response for impacted customers and communities. Our ability to support each other and work together is one of our industry’s superpowers.

“Our ability to support each other and work together is one of our industry’s superpowers.”

EP: Customer affordability is a central concern for EEI member companies and their customers. What are electric companies doing to help keep costs as low as possible?

MP: Like many industries, electric companies are facing mounting pressure over price increases. When costs go up, people may need to make difficult choices, as they work to pay rent, keep the lights on, and put food on the table.

We have a responsibility to manage our business in a way that prioritizes customers, and we are committed to keeping costs to customers as low as possible. Fortunately, new demand means that, as more businesses and people are connected to the grid, operating costs can be spread out.

Ensuring these savings materialize requires thoughtful work on the part of electric companies and regulators to shape and adjust rate structures. Growth also requires investments in generation, transmission and distribution, and advanced grid technologies, all of which will help minimize costs in the long run.

As these investments are made, we have an important opportunity to drive customer energy efficiency and efficiency in our operations. Customers—understandably—want to know what goes into their bill, and every part of our operations must deliver customer value.

EP: With a new administration and new Congress in Washington, do you see an impact on this industry?

MP: Electric companies create millions of good jobs, power the U.S. economy, and play a critical role in a variety of national and international policy and security priorities.

We’ve always worked with regulators and policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure our industry’s significance is understood and that our economic impact is enhanced by supportive public policy. That doesn’t change when a new administration arrives or political power shifts.

We are committed to engaging with the new administration and Congress to advance public policies that benefit our customers and to address common issues of global economic competitiveness and national security.

We share common interests and will work collaboratively, as we always have, when there are opportunities to better serve the American people with the reliable and affordable energy they need to thrive.

PGE’s AI-driven cameras provide 24-7 visual observation of high-risk fire zones. The company’s ability to detect wildfire smoke and alert a network of 50 public safety partners in real time helps reduce risk and keep communities safe.

EP: Looking out at the rest of 2025 and beyond, what message do you have for EEI member companies?

MP: We know that our customers expect the world’s most reliable electricity, and we know it’s our job to deliver it safely, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The pace of change that we are witnessing is accelerating. I am proud that EEI’s member companies are leading the way and are moving at new and exciting speeds as AI advances; more data centers come online; manufacturing and industrial activity accelerates; and homes, businesses and transportation continue to electrify.

Our customers are counting on us to meet today’s rapidly growing energy needs and to help make America home to the industries that will drive our future. At the same time, we are managing the increasing risks of wildfires and extreme weather; tackling energy security and resource adequacy as demand rises; and investing in a smarter, more flexible, more connected, and more resilient grid. We are balancing these efforts while working to keep costs as low as possible for customers.

As an industry, we have a clear set of priorities. Electricity is vital to our national security and economic competitiveness. Electricity powers our lives. We need a reliable, modern energy system for a modern age. Working together, we can deliver an energy grid—and an energy future—that is reliable, weather-resilient, responsive, and ready for the demand arriving now.

In these extraordinary times, our challenge is to capitalize on the extraordinary potential in front of us. I am confident that we are up to the task. EP

Portland General Electric (PGE) was recently named the winner of the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI’s) inaugural Corporate Citizenship Award for its Project Zero initiative.

Project Zero represents PGE’s commitment to expanding learning pathways that inspire the next generation to learn, solve, and act on clean energy challenges and solutions. It involves partnerships with more than 43 community organizations to address gaps in clean energy education through hands-on classroom activities, out-of-school experiences, and internship opportunities.

The initiative was created to empower young people to be active in shaping a sustainable energy future—particularly in underserved communities. Funded in part by the PGE Foundation, it is designed to introduce young adults to the opportunities available to them in the energy industry, potentially helping to bridge skills gaps and recruit promising young talent to the industry.

Since its launch in 2020, Project Zero has reached more than 175,000 K-12 students with learning and engagement opportunities related to climate, sustainability, and clean energy. More than half of the program’s interns secured full-time positions in energy- or environment-related fields upon completion of the program.

“This program creates vital pathways for young people from all walks of life to engage with climate solutions, develop problem-solving skills, and envision themselves as key players in the clean energy transition,” said Kregg Arntson, PGE’s Senior Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility. “We are honored to receive EEI’s Corporate Citizenship Award. This recognition would not be possible without our community partners who have supported PGE’s commitment to empowering the next generation of clean energy leaders.”

The EEI Corporate Citizenship Award was launched last year to recognize member companies’ commitments to supporting the growth, development, and well-being of the communities they are proud to serve. PGE was selected by a panel of executives as the inaugural winner from a group of more than 10 innovative projects.

“PGE is demonstrating its dedication to positively impacting the communities it serves through Project Zero,” said EEI interim President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn. “This initiative is an investment in the future energy workforce of America and is helping push our industry forward. EEI applauds the PGE team for its leadership and congratulates them for winning this inaugural award.”

The award was presented during EEI’s Powering Engagement Conference in the fall. Applications for the 2025 award will open on May 1. For more information about the Corporate Citizenship Award and other EEI programs designed to recognize outstanding leadership and service in the electric power industry, visit eei.org/awards.

In November, Oregon took a big step forward in using electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce emissions from its waste management operations. The state’s first all-electric garbage truck completed its first pickup in Portland, thanks in part to support from Portland General Electric’s (PGE’s) Drive Change Fund.

“We’re proud to work together with customers and community members to demonstrate what’s possible in diverse industries in building an economy increasingly powered by electricity from renewable resources,” said the company in a press release.

The zero-emissions truck, operated by COR Disposal and Recycling, can hold a charge for two days of trash pickups and takes three hours to recharge. It will operate in East Portland—an area that PGE says has been disproportionately impacted by climate change and air quality concerns. PGE helped with the installation of charging infrastructure needed to operate the truck.

“This milestone for COR will create green jobs for our community while linking together social, economic, and environmental justice in ways our economy has never witnessed,” said COR CEO Alando Simpson, thanking PGE and other community partners “who made this fully electric truck a reality for the residents of East Portland.”

PGE’s Drive Change Fund was established in 2019 to help support local businesses, municipalities, and nonprofits interested in accelerating the electrification of their transportation fleets. In 2023, the fund, which is supported by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ’s) Clean Fuels program, made nearly $2.3 million in grants available to advance the electrification of transportation in Oregon.

The types of projects it helped support include a wildlife conservancy’s purchase of EVs to help transport injured animals and plants, a public works department’s investment into an electric street sweeper, and a health-care nonprofit’s use of an EV to deliver prescriptions to patients, among others. Information about the types of projects supported by the Drive Change Fund is available on PGE’s website. Grant applications for 2024 will be available in February.

Electric companies are investing more than $4.2 billion across the country to deploy charging infrastructure and to pave the way for an EV future, with more than 26 million EVs projected to be on U.S. roadways in 2030. The transportation sector is the economy’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. In Oregon, the DEQ estimates transportation accounts for more than a third of the state’s carbon footprint.

Learn more about how electric companies are fueling the electrification of transportation.