The U.S. Department of Energy’s new “Speed to Power” RFI and draft Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANOPR) to FERC call for faster, smarter action to connect major new loads – AI data centers, semiconductor fabs, and advanced manufacturing – to the grid. Together, these initiatives signal an urgent federal push to build a bigger, better-planned, and more affordable grid that can keep pace with rising demand. Both comment periods just wrapped, offering a great time to revisit what it all means.

This ACEG Transmission Time webinar will unpack how DOE’s and FERC’s proposals aim toaccelerate interconnections while keeping electricity reliable and cost-effective for households and businesses. Speakers will explain how improved planning, defined benefits, and federal financing tools can expand grid capacity without shifting costs unfairly to consumers. Panelists will explore the implications for affordability, reliability, and permitting, outline how stakeholders can engage in the RFI and rulemaking processes, and discuss how smarter transmission planning can protect ratepayers while powering economic growth in the AI era.

Featured speakers include:

Rob Gramlich – Grid Strategies

Ray Fakhoury – Amazon

Kelsey Bagot – Virginia State Corporation Commission

Sarah Freeman – Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)

Related Content

ACEG Statement on the Bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Act Markup

ACEG Statement on the Bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024

ACEG Executive Director Christina Hayes Testifies to Senate Committee On Transmission Siting and Permitting