Climate Week 2026 - A National Imperative: Federal Leadership for the Grid
A National Imperative: Federal Leadership for the Grid
Meeting the fastest sustained surge in electricity demand in a generation will require doubling, or even tripling, the size of the American grid. However, our current system is not prepared, with transmission planning, permitting, and cost allocation authorities fragmented across numerous jurisdictions.
Meeting growing electricity demand with clean, abundant, affordable resources and supporting the next generation of American industries demands a fundamentally different regulatory approach to building and financing energy, one that moves at the speed of the market.
In particular, advocates have long understood the value of greater federal leadership for interregional transmission development. Now, with load growth and consumer bills rising sharply, a federal solution is even more imperative to complement the work already being considered by Congress, FERC, and state and regional efforts.
The Center for Public Enterprise, CleanEcon, and Clean Air Task Force jointly invite you to a working lunch under Chatham House rules featuring breakout discussion sessions. We believe a comprehensive federal interregional grid policy must take a more active role in identifying, financing, developing, and/or owning transmission projects.
Some solutions which we hope to examine include, but are not limited to, legislation for a national “HVDC macro-grid,” the creation of a federal grid authority or national transmission authority, and direct federal financing of new infrastructure to lower ratepayer costs.
Held during New York City’s Climate Week, this convening aims to establish a shared strategic objective for advancing federal policy on interregional transmission and iterate the details of federalization. Candid conversations are welcome. This will be the first of several gatherings to align and coordinate attendees’ strategic planning, communications, and outputs.