The Grid That Has to Hold: Climate, Security, and Colorado's Energy Future
The electric grid powers everything: our homes, our businesses, and increasingly, our national defense. Behind every overseas mission and day-to-day military operation are domestic installations that depend almost entirely on a reliable grid to function. At the same time, a changing climate is straining that grid with more frequent and more severe disruptions — from wildfires to heat waves to catastrophic storms.
Historically, climate change and national security have been treated as separate conversations. They aren't anymore. Both are stress-testing the same infrastructure, and both demand the same answer: a grid built to last. Coloradans know this firsthand as a state hosting several of our country’s most critical military missions centered in the Springs, a long history of wildfire threats, and fresh memory of the December 2025 Front Range windstorm that forced widespread shutoffs and left thousands without power.
Join energy and defense experts to dig into what it takes to build a grid that can handle the demands of a hotter and more volatile future, how Colorado’s communities and military installations are innovating on energy resilience, and why investing in the grid has ripple effects for climate resilience and national defense.
**Are you a military veteran? If so please join us April 1 at 6pm for a Veterans in Energy dinner. Event info: https://luma.com/wwvph0hh
Panelists:
Francesca Reznik, Senior Associate, Converge Strategies
Ryan Lamke, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
Keith Hay, Managing Policy Director, Colorado Energy Office
You'll walk away understanding:
● How grid reliability and national security are more connected than most people realize
● How investments in transmission and grid modernization serve both defense readiness and everyday energy needs
● Why this is a moment of real opportunity for Colorado's energy future
By registering for this event, you agree to share your registration information with the organizers of CO Climate Week.