Fortnightly Magazine - May 2026

The electric utility industry has moved past the era of predictable one percent growth. As we reach the middle of 2026, however, the question is no longer whether new load is coming, but rather how providers can build fast enough to meet the demand. This month, we spoke with eight leaders currently navigating unprecedented growth challenges to discuss the strategies and infrastructure we all need to modernize the grid.

“Our stance remains focused on reducing unnecessary work to streamline the process. Shorter schedules generally lead to lower costs, which ultimately benefits ratepayers through the broader market.”

“By requiring large loads like data centers to pay their share up front, we are preventing those investments from being shifted onto our broader membership.”

“While spreadsheets can represent data, email becomes the primary way that data moves, which creates problems like lost records, data entry errors, or missed deadlines.”