To meet energy demand, we need everything we’ve got

OPINION:

The United States is entering a new era of electricity demand and it’s arriving faster than many expected.

From advanced manufacturing to data centers powering artificial intelligence, the need for reliable, affordable electricity is growing at a pace we have never seen.

At the same time, the reliability margins that keep our grid stable are tightening. According to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), large portions of the country face elevated risk of electricity shortfalls during periods of high demand. That’s not an abstract warning; it’s happening now. And it’s a clear signal that we need to act with urgency.

And the stakes go beyond reliability alone. China is moving aggressively to build the energy infrastructure needed to power advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and next-generation technologies. If the United States wants to stay ahead of China on the development and deployment of this powerful technology, we must have the electricity to match our ambitions. Reliable, abundant power is not just an economic advantage it’s a national security imperative.

The good news: we know what to do.

Affordable power, a secure grid and the energy needed to support economic growth requires a strategy rooted in three steps: stabilize, optimize and grow.

First, we must stabilize the grid.

That starts with recognizing a simple reality: we need everything we’ve got.

Reliable, dispatchable energy sources like coal, natural gas, and nuclear remain the backbone of our electric system. They provide consistent power, regardless of weather conditions, and they are essential to maintaining grid stability as demand rises.

But today, in too many parts of the country, these critical resources are being retired faster than they can be replaced, and often without a clear plan to maintain reliability. Once a dispatchable plant is taken offline, that capacity is difficult, if not impossible, to bring back quickly.

I introduced the Baseload Reliability Protection Act to prevent the premature retirement of dispatchable power plants in regions already identified by NERC as facing reliability risks. Stabilizing the grid means protecting the resources we depend on today while preparing for tomorrow.

Second, we must optimize the infrastructure we already have.

Today, much of our transmission infrastructure is built with inefficient legacy technologies, leaving significant capacity on the table. By deploying advanced conductors capable of carrying substantially more electricity on the same transmission poles we can unlock significantly more transmission capacity without the cost, delay and permitting challenges of building entirely new lines.

That’s the idea behind my High-Capacity Grid Act. It’s a practical reform that helps utilities move more power through existing corridors faster, more affordably and with less disruption to communities.

This approach matters because speed is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. Upgrading existing lines can be done in a fraction of the time required to build new lines.

Leaders in the technology and industrial sectors are rallying behind this approach. Companies investing billions in AI, advanced manufacturing and data infrastructure understand that power availability is now a gating factor for growth. They need solutions that can be deployed quickly and at scale and they recognize that modernizing existing transmission is one of the fastest ways to deliver results.

Finally, we must grow.

Even with better use of existing resources, we must build more. More generation, more transmission and more pipelines to support our growing economy. The House has already passed major permitting reform bills including the SPEED Act and PERMIT Act to provide certainty, reduce delays and allow projects of all types to advance more efficiently. These bills and others involving cost allocation and Clean Air Act reforms will provide a menu of options for the Senate to design a comprehensive, bipartisan package for permitting reform. I might be an optimistic freshman, but this issue goes far beyond the partisan divides that split Washington. This is an American issue. Members in both chambers from both parties must recognize that when it comes to permitting reform, it’s now or never. The speed of change doesn’t allow us to push off permitting reform to the next Congress.

And why would we? Why would we make the American people wait for all the benefits that come from an America that is able to build again?

We have the resources, the innovation, and the workforce to meet this moment. The path forward is clear: stabilize, optimize and grow. With this approach, we can strengthen our grid, support economic growth and ensure American energy, technology and manufacturing leadership for decades to come.

• Rep. Julie Fedorchak, a fourth-generation North Dakotan, proudly represents her entire state in Washington, D.C. and serves on the Committee on Energy and Commerce. She served as president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) in 2024, advocating for responsible energy development essential to economic growth and national security. Julie and her husband Mike, a Navy veteran, have been married for 25 years and have three adult children.