The Chamber’s Roadmap to Support Electricity Demand Growth

From powering data centers to supporting new manufacturing facilities, the need for reliable and affordable electricity has never been more critical. Meeting this demand requires a thoughtful, balanced approach that ensures reliability and affordability while ensuring responsible environmental stewardship.

To address these challenges, the Chamber has consulted our members across the sectors most critical to shaping, building, and financing our energy and technology systems of the future and developed a set of Principles Supporting Electricity Demand and Economic Growth.  These principles offer twenty guidelines that will help us meet this moment of unprecedented electricity demand without sacrificing our economic, innovation, and national security goals.

The principles largely fall within these areas:

Comprehensive Permitting Reform
The ability to expand and modernize our energy infrastructure is essential to meeting surging electricity demand.  Streamlining permitting processes at the state and federal levels will accelerate the construction of all types of energy projects. By reducing unnecessary delays and regulatory hurdles, we can ensure that projects are completed efficiently.

A Diverse Energy Mix
A reliable electricity supply depends on a balanced mix that includes natural gas, nuclear, hydro, wind, and solar, and others to fill in the gaps. Each type of energy source plays a unique role in supporting grid reliability and affordability. Encouraging investment in a diverse range of energy technologies will help meet demand while maintaining grid stability.

Investment in Innovation
Continued investment in research and development for energy storage, advanced nuclear technologies, carbon capture, and grid modernization will enable the deployment of cleaner and more efficient energy solutions. These investments will ensure that demand doesn’t outstrip supply, while enhancing reliability and resilience.

Cross-Sector Collaboration
Meeting the growing demand for electricity is an "all hands-on deck" effort.  Collaboration between government, industry, and other stakeholders – both on the supply and demand sides of the load growth equation – is crucial to developing and implementing effective energy policies that benefit all sectors of the economy.

The future of electricity demand growth is both a challenge and an opportunity. By adhering to these Principles, we can modernize our energy system to support economic growth, foster innovation, and meet the needs of a changing society.  

Through collaboration with our members, in the coming weeks we will produce policy recommendations, adhering to these principles, as well as produce programming and materials to inform the broader policy discussion.

About the author

Heath Knakmuhs

Knakmuhs studies, develops, and communicates strategic energy policies and initiatives with a focus on the electric power sector. He also examines the impact of regulatory action, market-based factors, and emerging threats on the American electric grid.

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