Today,
@EPSA_CEO testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources on the state of the bulk power system and how policymakers and regulators can focus on reliability and affordability while accounting for shifting demand forecasts.
Here are the top three takeaways:
🔷 Competitive markets protect consumers and drive investment.
Well-functioning wholesale power markets remain the most effective way to deliver reliable, cost-efficient electricity—while ensuring that investors, not ratepayers, bear the risk of investments.
🔷 Demand uncertainty is the biggest risk to reliability and affordability.
With electricity demand surging from data centers, AI, and electrification, accurate load forecasting is critical to avoid over or under-building. Thoughtful load forecasts take time and allowing unrealistic or speculative projects to skew demand assumptions – instead of demanding disciplined forecasting – will only harm ratepayers by increasing costs and adding resources that may or may not be needed.
🔷 Policy reforms can unlock faster, smarter investment.
Permitting reform, better load forecasting, and innovative solutions like bilateral agreements and co-location can accelerate new generation, while protecting customers from unnecessary costs.
As demand grows, getting these fundamentals right will be essential to building the grid we need, without overburdening consumers.
Read Todd’s full testimony:
tinyurl.com/rnffyxkz
Watch the hearing:
tinyurl.com/mtdzbxu4
#EPSA #PowerMarkets #PermittingReform #EnergyAffordability #EnergyReliability