Strategy & Planning

“Through the AEIC Center for Operational Excellence, we’ve launched a multi-part workshop series dedicated to large load enablement, bringing together system planning, engineering, operations, and customer-facing leaders to identify practical strategies, barriers, and breakthroughs.”

“One of the most underappreciated risks is the condition of aging thermal infrastructure. Without proactive life management, the utility sector risks unexpected failures. For regulators, this raises questions about how asset integrity is assessed and how lifecycle risk is factored into planning and rate cases.”

“The energy transition is the operating reality for utilities and regulators today. Decisions being made now, particularly at the state level, will shape whether the evolving power system remains resilient, affordable, and accessible for all customers.”

“They are commonly called forever chemicals, as they dissipate so slowly environmentally. What makes PFAS compliance even more vexing is that because the substances are ubiquitous it is not the same as dealing with other hazardous materials such as lead or asbestos.”

“We are seeing another business model evolution happen in real time now. AI- driven load growth is increasing faster than traditional planning and regulatory cycles can accommodate. Moreover, this load growth looks different.”

“We’re going to be focused on finding opportunities in reducing overall OpEx for how businesses are run, making sure that shows up as a net reduction in cost for the customer. We’ll also be focused on energy efficiency opportunities and ways customers can take affordability into their own hands.”

“The swings in power block cycling can be very challenging. Because AI model training runs in parallel, these power blocks can swing between five hundred megawatts to a gigawatt, up to four times a minute.”

“An equally urgent priority is helping our clients navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment. We’re seeing an increase in private capital going into grid solutions and generation, which is challenging the traditional regulatory model.”

Public Utilities Fortnightly Executive Editor Steve Mitnick turned to four experts facing the challenges and opportunities ahead in 2026. Guidehouse Global Energy Providers Practice Leader Michelle Fay, Emerson President of Power and Water Solutions Bob Yeager, and Energy Impact Partners Head of Innovation Evan Pittman with EIP Elevate Future Fund Managing Partner Anthony Oni provided their thoughts on what the new year will bring.

“If we define unaffordability as when households with limited means and assets encounter a confluence of bill spikes and other adversities that compel them to miss payments and forego necessities, then data from all directions are informing us that there is indeed a crisis.”