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More US Power Transmission Needed as Demand Rises, DOE Says

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US electric transmission infrastructure should be expanded due to rising power demand from data centers, manufacturing, and industry electrification, the US Department of Energy's draft 2026 National Transmission Needs Study said on Thursday.

The study highlighted that transmission reliability is necessary for load growth and relieving congestion, with regions such as the New York Independent System Operator, NorthernGrid South, and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator showing the highest potential to reduce high congestion costs.

"The majority of transmission congestion is concentrated in 5% of the hours particularly during times with significant day-ahead to real-time market price variance, high net load, cold weather, and high intermittent generation," the draft report said.

Due to the prospects of increased transmission, several regional transmission operators and independent system operators, such as the MISO, the Southwest Power Pool, PJM Interconnection, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, have approved their largest transmission portfolios, according to the report.

It also noted that interregional transmission, such as that between West Connect and Southwest Power Pool and between NorthernGrid and WestConnect, enhances grid reliability and resilience.

The study is open for a 60-day public comment period that will run through Sep. 7, to gather stakeholder feedback.

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