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Message From Katie
Dear Colleagues, Stakeholders, and Friends,
At the Office of Electricity (OE), our commitment to developing modern, lasting grid solutions has never been stronger. We are focused on advancing an electricity system that provides affordable, reliable, and secure energy for all Americans while preparing the grid to meet rapidly evolving national needs.
As part of this commitment, we’re making important decisions about how and where to build out the grid. Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced we will not proceed with designating three proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors—the Southwestern Grid Connector, Lake Erie–Canada, and Tribal Energy Access corridors.
I was fortunate to make this announcement in Lamar, Colorado, where I saw firsthand the profound positive response from community members. It is one of my highest honors in my role as Assistant Secretary to connect with communities and see the result of DOE’s commitment to local-driven solutions and respect for local voices in our mission to create a more clear and effective path for building America’s modern electric grid.
We’re also taking meaningful steps to strengthen America’s supply chain. By reducing our dependence on imports, we are helping to drive down costs and ensure the availability of affordable, American-made equipment that keeps our energy flowing.
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As we continue to prioritize collaborative planning, we’re also leveraging the latest technologies to stabilize, optimize, and grow the grid. OE is proud to lead the Scaling the Grid to Power the American Economy National Science and Technology Challenge as part of the Genesis Mission. Five projects were selected under Phase I of this challenge, which aim to enable 20 to 100 times faster decision-making and at least a 10% improvement in electricity cost and reliability, ultimately helping to lower bills and provide dependable service to Americans. The $11.5 million Phase II award for the OE-led challenge is further accelerating U.S. innovation, with the goal of making AI models more than 1,000 times faster than traditional approaches for critical grid calculations.
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With these bold steps, OE is driving progress toward a smarter, more resilient grid—one that delivers affordable, reliable, and secure energy that empowers communities and supports America’s continued growth and prosperity.
Best,
Katie Jereza, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity
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Inside the Needs Study: Understanding America’s Transmission Capacity Constraints and Congestion
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America is experiencing unprecedented electricity demand growth driven by booming industries like domestic manufacturing and AI and a rapidly expanding economy. The Office of Electricity is illuminating this challenge with insights from the draft 2026 National Transmission Needs Study (Needs Study) and a series of feedback sessions OE hosted across the nation in August to gather stakeholder input.
Required under the Federal Power Act, the Needs Study identifies current and anticipated future transmission capacity constraints and congestion across the nation’s electric grid. It also identifies key national transmission needs that can inform planning and investment decisions to deliver affordable, reliable, and secure electricity to Americans in every corner of the country.
To help stabilize, optimize, and grow the electricity system, the draft report outlines several key findings:
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- Transmission congestion is widespread and highly concentrated.
- Transmission needs are evolving due to load growth and resource changes.
- Many regional entities are approving their largest transmission portfolios.
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OE invited technical feedback on this draft report from states, Tribal Nations, regional transmission planners, local communities, and the general public.
View our informational webinar to learn more and join the conversation on America’s electricity transmission future!
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Progress in Puerto Rico
Moving Critical Energy Projects Forward
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 Assistant Secretary Jereza and other stakeholders toured the San Juan Power Plant recently to see firsthand how investments through DOE's Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund are helping repair critical infrastructure.
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Teams across OE have collaborated with external partners to deliver the greatest near-term impact for Puerto Rico’s electric grid. And we’re making progress.
From navigating technical reviews and project management logistics, to contracting requirements and partner coordination, combined efforts are keeping these complex projects moving forward for the people of Puerto Rico. According to A/S Jereza, "We're seeing what can happen when we work together for affordable, reliable, and secure energy. There is no shortcut to energy resilience. It takes investment. It takes partnership. And it takes a commitment to solving problems. That's how we strengthen the grid. That's how we build resilience. And that's how we keep moving forward."
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Here are some quick highlights you can share with colleagues, friends, and neighbors:
- #1: Strong teamwork is delivering power. Repairs in 2026 at major generating facilities restored 1,200 MW of reliable electricity for approximately 1.5 million customers. There have been no island-wide blackouts in 17 months.
- #2: Together, we’re strengthening infrastructure. DOE investment of $113M and stakeholder partnerships are improving transmission and distribution substations and equipment, so the island’s electric system is better positioned to withstand and recover more quickly after storms and provide affordable, reliable and secure power to the island.
- Watch our video!
You can get Puerto Rico highlights by following on OE’s LinkedIn and X channels. Drop a like, comment, or share our posts when you see Puerto Rico content.
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Catch Up on Watt's New at OE
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OE-Led Genesis Mission Challenge: OE announced an $11.5 million project led by Brookhaven National Laboratory. The Phase II project—Foundation Models for the Electric Grid: From Proof of Concept to Real-world Impacts—follows the historic July announcement of the first Genesis Mission projects, including five Phase I projects selected for the OE-led challenge. Together, these projects are addressing grid reliability challenges and infrastructure limitations to meet electricity demand growth.
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North Plains Connector Project Milestone: DOE and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality completed the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed 422-mile transmission line to link the Western and Eastern U.S. grids, which will boost reliability and help to meet rising electricity demand.
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Next-Generation Grid Digitization Awards: OE awarded 13 teams $75,000 each in Phase 1 of the Digitizing Utilities Prize Round 3: Resilient Grid Innovation. Their solutions will help utilities better use their data to detect, locate, and respond to threats on their systems, ultimately reducing costs and making electricity more affordable.
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Grid Innovations Facility and Testing Voucher Opportunity Launched: OE launched a $4 million opportunity that pairs test bed facility operators with a technology developer to evaluate precommercial transmission and distribution grid technologies. These technologies can increase grid capacity, provide greater flexibility, and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains. See the webinar to learn more. Applications close on Sept. 22 at 3 p.m., ET.
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Reminder: TRAC Peer Review
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Join us for two information-packed days focused on grid hardware innovation projects during the TRAC Peer Review.
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When: Sept. 21–22, 2026
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Where: Washington, D.C.
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New! Grid Power and Control Electronics (Grid PACE) Annual Meeting
Are you a leader in the domestic power electronics ecosystem? Join OE, Sandia National Laboratories, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to discuss power electronics investments and innovations and help shape the future of an affordable, reliable, and secure grid.
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When: Sept. 23–24, 2026
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Where: Washington, D.C.
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Exploring Microgrid System Integration in Remote and Isolated Communities Webinar Series
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Accelerating Innovation: At the grand opening of GE Vernova’s Advanced Research Center, Assistant Secretary Jereza underscored the pivotal role of U.S. energy innovation in strengthening America’s global competitiveness and how advanced research and strong DOE-industry partnerships are accelerating reliable, scalable technologies to meet rising electricity demand.
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Leading Wildfire Risk Management: Learn about how OE is helping to protect Americans and their communities from the threat wildfires pose to the nation’s electric grid. By advancing research, tools, and partnerships with utilities and other stakeholders, OE is helping communities keep the power on and reduce wildfire risks.
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Did You Know? Grid Resilience Projects are Powering American Growth.
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