As we again prepare to welcome our members to Washington for our annual Legislative Rally, the phrase often heard repeated throughout the halls of Congress when talking about energy is “resource adequacy.”
In its simplest terms, resource adequacy means having enough capacity and reserves for grid operators to maintain the balance of supply and demand across an electric system. But, having enough capacity (power when it is needed and the transmission and other infrastructure to deliver it), having enough security to protect the grid components, being able to afford the rising costs to produce and the deliver the power necessary, and deciphering what the levels of projected growth in demand over various time periods will be are some of the toughest issues facing our industry today.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation continues to warn us about potential gaps in available capacity during winter and summer peak periods. Other policymakers are starting to listen and talk about these issues, but APPA members are living the realities every day. Public power remains laser focused on providing safe, affordable, reliable power and is applying new technologies and strategies to meet this mission for the communities we serve. We are also continuing the long-held tradition of working together and with others at the local, state, and federal levels to move forward on major efforts.
This issue of Public Power highlights your stories and experiences related to resource adequacy, from how utilities are moving ahead with big infrastructure projects to working with data center customers and navigating the latest changes in the capacity markets. Our quick breakdown of resource adequacy might be helpful to you in defining this concept to those outside of our industry, whether for policymakers or community members.
While utilities have showcased innovation amid the bevy of challenges, Congress must do its part to ensure resource adequacy, and to help you overcome supply constraints and rising costs. For our part, the American Public Power Association has been hard at work advocating for changes on the regulatory and legislative fronts that will help our members not only build infrastructure, but access needed funding mechanisms and technology to rise to this challenge. We are pushing for faster permitting, planning certainty, and interagency coordination, and policymakers are beginning to embrace these ideas.
On the resilience side, this issue also shares the perspective of utilities that have recently worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program on why the agency’s assistance is critical, and how reforms under consideration could make a difference for utilities and the federal government alike.
The energy landscape is as promising as it is ominous, and I’m optimistic public power can meet this moment. Just as your perspective is important in informing your policymakers at the state and federal levels, your input to us at APPA into how policy and regulations affect your work helps shape our priorities. As we prepare for the Legislative Rally, I invite you to weigh in on the latest policy resolutions put forth by APPA members and to read over our updated issue briefs. Please let our policy team know should you have further insights or feedback to inform our advocacy work in 2026 by emailing Policy@PublicPower.org.
