Load Growth Surges Again This Year: Is Our Grid Ready?

166 gigawatts: that’s how much higher U.S. peak electricity demand is expected be by 2029 – a load surge equivalent to adding 15 New York Cities. Is our transmission system ready? Rob Gramlich, President of consulting firm Grid Strategies LLC and co-author of the 2024 report that first collected load growth data, Strategic Industries Surging: Driving US Power Demand, will discuss:

Identifying the Largest Demand Spikes
Certain regions—especially the Southeast, Texas, and the Midwest—are seeing load growth of 20–40% in just a few years. Data centers alone are expected to consume over 90 GW by 2030, while load growth from industries like advanced manufacturing will add even more stress to the grid. Without sufficient transmission capacity, some of these industries may be forced to delay projects or rely on polluting backup power.

Transmission Constraints as a Barrier to Growth
The U.S. only built 888 miles of new high- voltage transmission in 2024, far below what is needed to support this surge in demand. Transmission constraints in regions like PJM and ERCOT are already leading to record congestion costs, forcing utilities to curtail renewable generation and rely on higher-cost fossil fuels to meet demand. If these constraints persist, grid reliability could be compromised.

Innovative Solutions for a Futureproof Grid
In the longer term: Regional and interregional transmission planning must account for high-load growth scenarios, ensuring that grid expansion is proactive rather than reactive.
In the near-term: Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) like Dynamic Line Ratings (DLR) can unlock up to 40% more capacity on existing lines, alleviating congestion while long-term projects are built.