The States

“Last year, we had a two-day Technical Conference dealing with large-load growth. We brought in all the stakeholder entities to provide insight. We also brought in Dominion Energy from Virginia, which has seen the greatest increase in load growth from data centers.”

“Iowa’s wind development conversations often leave out a critical innovation that doesn’t get talked about enough and that’s regulatory innovations. That allowed Iowa to invest responsibly and grow a large renewable portfolio that delivered reliable and affordable rates.”

“I am always interested in exploring innovation and technology that can better our electric grid and water and gas infrastructure. However, I also generally don’t want to see our utilities as first movers if there are risks to our reliability and affordability in Arizona.”

Conversations with Arizona Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson, Iowa Commissioner Erik Helland, and North Carolina Commissioner Floyd McKissick with former NARUC President Paul Kjellander.

“By implementing a systematic assessment and restoration program, utilities can double that lifespan, extracting 100 to 150 years of reliable service out of a single transmission asset.”

“By upgrading the existing grid, advanced conductors slash deployment timelines from decades to months, integrating large loads faster and more affordably.”

“Everyone in the regulatory space wants to understand outcomes. When a utility spends ratepayer dollars, stakeholders must see the resulting risk reduction.”

“Connecting and automating physical grid infrastructure introduces immense systemic complexity compared to traditional information technology networks.”

Four innovators — Dragos, Rhizome, TS Conductor, and Osmose — rewrite the operational playbook for a highly automated and heavily loaded grid.

“Ultimately, adding this massive load expands the economic foundation to absorb the fixed costs of grid modernization, ensuring that future rate increases for everyday citizens are significantly smaller than they would have been without it.”