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While electric utilities and consumers will be cruising comfortably in the middle and distant future with new transmission, new generation, AI management, DER and new technologies, particularly nuclear, in the form of small modular reactors and maturing fusion, their immediate future is a road filled with potholes.

This promises to be a year when the utilities will be stressed as never before with rising demand, worsening weather, and no quick fixes. It will be yet another year for utilities to tighten their seatbelts and make do with what they have.

Consider:

• The United States Energy Information Administration predicts that electricity demand will reach new highs this summer. This increase is driven by several factors including the rise in data centers, the switch to electric transportation, and the change from fossil fuels to electricity in manufacturing.
• The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, in its long-term forecast, is pessimistic. NERC predicts that over half of the country could face electricity shortfalls this summer due to rising demand and fossil fuel retirements.
• Long-range weather forecasters are predicting a hotter than usual summer despite a decline in El Niño. NERC says this could lead to a 15- percent summer demand rise over the next decade. It also warns of an 18-percent increase in winter demand over the decade.

To examine these challenges, the United States Energy Association will hold its first of the year virtual press briefing on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 11 a.m. EST.

As usual, a panel of senior reporters who cover energy for national and trade outlets will question a panel of experts. Reporters will have a story they can write that day and information they can bank for future use.

Also as usual, the briefing on Zoom is open to the press and the public — and some questions from the public will be taken via the chat function.

Journalist Llewellyn King has organized and will moderate the briefing. Mark Menezes, USEA President and CEO, will be on hand to welcome participants, review the mission of the USEA, and lend his expertise as a former deputy secretary of energy to the discussion.

Participation is free but registration is required.

The Experts:

• Jim Robb, President and CEO, North American Electric Reliability Corporation
• Elliot Mainzer, President and CEO, California ISO
• Sacha Fontaine, Principal Utility Consultant and AI expert, SAS
• Duane Highley, CEO, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association
• Karen Wayland, CEO, GridWise Alliance
• John Howes, Principal, Redland Energy
• Ted Vatnsdal, executive director strategy and risk management, MISO
• Maria Pope, president and CEO, Portland General Electric; Chair, EEI

The Reporters:

• Jennifer Hiller, The Wall Street Journal
• Edward Saltzberg, Security and Sustainability Forum
• Peter Behr, Politico’s E&E News
• Markham Hislop, Energi (Canada)
• Matt Chester, Energy Central
• Ken Silverstein, Forbes