Maintenance and Megawatts: A Network to a Smarter, Stronger U.S. Grid

America’s electric grid is at a tipping point. Decades of under-investment, aging infrastructure, increasing demand from electrification and growing weather-related risks are converging. 

To keep our lights on while growing the economy, we must optimize existing assets; build infrastructure to generate additional power and link supply and demand; and engage key stakeholders.

Here’s how. 

1) Optimize: From congestion to capacity

A shift in mindset and new approaches can help us get more from existing assets. In fact, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is requiring transmission providers to consider alternative technologies that can offer faster, cost-effective ways to expand grid capacity and improve performance.

Some of the most common grid enhancing technologies include tower lifting, which helps fix sagging power lines; and dynamic line ratings, which use sensors to track how weather affects line capacity. For example, heat can reduce the load that the system can carry, while wind cools power lines that can provide existing lines with the ability to carry additional capacity. Special coatings  — which may be applied autonomously — can cool power lines and potentially enhance longevity.  

Advanced analytics, sensors and digital twins can also help predict needs in advance, allowing operators to focus limited resources where they can have the greatest impact. By modeling grid behavior under various scenarios — from extreme weather to demand spikes — utilities can better prepare for disruptions. For example, a utility might use sensors on transmission lines or transformer health metrics to predict when failure is more likely, allowing preemptive action while increasing the likely return on investment.  

2) Build: From micro-grids to big bets

Achieving U.S. energy security, let alone energy dominance, requires an all-of-the-above strategy with a diverse mix of energy sources, including fossil fuels, renewables, nuclear and emerging technologies. We need new sources of power generation, the flexibility that micro-grids can offer, and behind-the-meter developments, especially those co-located with heavy energy users. 

We also need to expand battery storage, particularly alongside renewable energy, an approach that has broad support. WSP’s 2025 Pulse Report: Energy found that nearly seven out of 10 (69 percent) Americans believe the U.S. government should invest more in battery storage to make the electric grid more resilient. Breakthroughs in next-generation battery storage will make renewable energy more reliable, scalable and sustainable — creating a more resilient grid.

Energy generation and storage are one part of the equation, but transmission may be even more critical. An industry coalition estimates the U.S. should build approximately 5,000 miles of new high-capacity transmission lines annually through 2040 to meet growing demand. With only 322 miles of high-voltage lines completed in 2024, we’re not yet close to the pace required. We need to improve resilience and plan for future growth with new high-capacity transmission, new converter stations, buried cables and upgraded lines. 

The good news is that 92 percent of people surveyed are open to new transmission through their community if the projects help the U.S. meet the growing demand for power — even if it may not benefit them directly. Additionally, a number of promising projects are underway that will benefit millions.

The industry is also exploring new options. For example, the U.S. continues to develop the use of 765 kilovolt technology, ultra-high voltage alternating current systems that transmit large quantities of electricity over long distances with high efficiency, reducing transmission losses and the number of transmission lines needed. The use of AI could also allow us to be more confident in quicker decision-making around route optimization, environmental impact assessments and other challenges.  

3) Engage: Understanding people and perspectives

Even the best strategies can falter without broad stakeholder buy-in. Public involvement is particularly critical for energy infrastructure projects, to both solicit ideas and support the funding and decision-making needed to build and maintain a smarter, stronger grid. Multiple stakeholders need to understand siting, environmental impacts, workforce training and cost. Involving communities early helps build trust, reduce conflict and improve outcomes. The good news is that most people want to learn more. 

Our Pulse Report shows that nearly four out of five Americans (77 percent) would like to know more about how to improve the electric grid in their community. A notable 28 percent are what we call “energy enthusiasts” — people who strongly agree that they want to know more about how to improve the electric grid in their community. 

Those relatively strong numbers reflect the fact that Americans are worried about the aging grid, with 78 percent expressing concern about dependable electricity without power outages. In fact, when considering potential tradeoffs between additional investment in reliability and lower costs, reliability seems to be the greater concern. Today, 65 percent of Americans would be willing to pay slightly more for electricity if it meant building a more reliable electric grid, compared to 61 percent who said the same in late 2023. 

That shows people are ready for change. Utilities, regulators, municipalities and private developers must all communicate honestly about trade-offs: what upgrades will cost, what the risks are if we don’t act, how long construction takes, and what the benefits will be in terms of reliability, emissions and costs.  

People want leaders to move more quickly to address these challenges, as 71 percent of Americans agree the federal government should speed up permitting for essential electric grid projects even if that reduces local government control.

In short: We must treat the U.S. grid as the critical asset that it is. The choices we make today will define our energy infrastructure for decades to come.