Last year around this time, we were gearing up for a change in administration in Washington and what that might mean for the energy sector. Two years ago, we started to see readjusted projections for load growth based on rapidly growing interest in data centers after OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public the year before. Four years ago, Congress passed a major bipartisan bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to provide federal funding for a host of energy-related projects.
Through all of this, public power has adjusted to deploy new technologies, revise plans, and find ways to pay for these efforts while keeping costs low for customers. Over the past 30 years, public power has increased its owned generating capacity by 35 gigawatts — a 42% increase — and has many more projects underway from a diverse array of sources. That increase doesn’t include all the generation secured from power purchase agreements that have further diversified our supply in support of goals for continued reliable, affordable, and sustainable power.
In times of change, one of the most valuable traits is to be nimble. After all, you can’t always control the circumstances, but you can control how you respond to them. Public power is particularly adept at problem solving.
We know from experience and from warnings of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation that the threats to reliability and affordability for electricity will continue to increase, just as the drive to meet these challenges will increase. This issue of Public Power highlights how public power providers have planned for — and acted on — industry change, whether in adjusting their portfolio planning strategies, moving ahead with major projects, or preparing their workforce to lead in the future.
Collectively, the thousands of public power communities are stronger by educating each other on how to evolve in this sea of change. APPA serves you by sharing the information you need to make critical decisions, speaking up when federal actions or regulations make your work difficult (or more expensive), and in being a hub for you to find and connect with your peers facing similar challenges.
We have fought to stave off attacks on the hard-won financing mechanisms and tax credits for public power, have kept up the drum beat on the need for FEMA reform and funding, and been vocal on preserving LIHEAP funding. We have heard the challenges you face in permitting for infrastructure, have made some strides administratively, and are pushing for legislative reform that is needed on laws such as the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.
APPA is most effective when you give feedback through our surveys or by just reaching out to let us know how best we can help. With many important initiatives to work on through the end of this year and into the next, this is also a good time to recognize how well public power is navigating these times of change. Here is wishing you all a rewarding and restful holiday season.
