As we marked America’s 250th anniversary of its independence last month with dazzling visual displays, behind this beautiful celebration was the continued flow of electricity.
It’s easy to take electricity for granted without considering everything required to make it possible.
First and foremost, we must generate it, and that requires producing enough energy to meet our needs. The good news is that under President Donald Trump’s leadership, our country has achieved a spectacular turnaround.
We are unleashing more energy supply than ever. We are utilizing every reliable energy source at our disposal. We are ushering in a new golden age of American energy dominance. Alongside our political independence, we now enjoy unmistakable energy independence.
And we are doing it not a moment too soon, as electricity demand, after years of staying flat, is now surging, driven by the rise of artificial intelligence data centers and accelerated industrialization.
We sought feedback in Atlanta and beyond
Credit: U.S. Department of
Credit: U.S. Department of
Electricity, however, must not only be generated but delivered. Several of President Trump’s executive orders highlight the importance of delivery by supporting a robust electrical grid.
At the U.S. Department of Energy, we don’t take delivery for granted. From Energy Secretary Chris Wright on down, we are committed to affordable, reliable and secure power delivered to our homes and hospitals, businesses and essential services, police and military.
Our Office of Electricity spearheads DOE’s efforts in this vital area. Our mission is to stabilize, optimize and grow America’s electricity system.
To that end, amid the celebrations, in July, we released our draft National Transmission Needs Study for public comment. As assistant secretary for OE, I was in Atlanta recently discussing the study and soliciting feedback.
The draft needs study, which we conduct every three years, provides a comprehensive assessment of current and future transmission limitations within and across geographic regions of the United States. Its purpose isn’t to prescribe specific solutions to issues facing our power sector, but rather to assess challenges and allow for industry and public suggestions and solutions.
The needs study is out for open comment until Sept. 7. Please ensure all feedback is submitted to NeedsStudy.Comments@hq.doe.gov.
How the needs assessment will be put into action
Accurately identifying where transmission constraints exist, how severe they are and what causes them is critical before committing billions of dollars and years of development. Applying President Trump’s gold standard science will provide the framework for making federal research and the evidence used in government decisions more rigorous and trustworthy.
It will give transmission planners a credible foundation to target real needs, compare solutions and deliver the greatest reliability and economic benefits. A clear diagnosis from the start can streamline infrastructure planning, reduce costs and improve outcomes.
The draft needs study synthesized publicly available data from an estimated 100 reports and incorporated findings into nearly 100 future transmission scenarios under varying economic, reliability and resilience conditions, linking long- and short-term power system models to assess interregional needs.
For those of you who for years have faced high electricity bills and less reliable power, know that the key to affordable and reliable energy is more energy production and better energy delivery. The moment President Trump set foot in office, he, along with Secretary Wright, took a vital first step, transforming America’s energy policy and driving up reliable energy production. We are equally committed to improvements in energy delivery.
We welcome your continued input and suggestions as you examine the findings. This study is a tool — part of our analytical process to give us actionable solutions. We are listening, and we care. We can, and we will rise to meet America’s growing electricity needs. And as we do, we will build an electricity system capable of meeting energy demands, powering the U.S. on a pathway of prosperity, national security and energy dominance for generations to come.
Catherine “Katie” Jereza was sworn in as assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity on Oct. 14, 2025. She leads the department’s research, development and demonstration programs to strengthen and modernize our nation’s power grid.
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