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In our first issue of 2026, the WIRES newsletter focuses on what promises to be an ongoing theme for the year — affordability. In his perspective, Dave Burnham, Eversource’s Director of Transmission Policy and WIRES 2026 President, emphasizes that a modern, resilient transmission network is not just critical to achieving our national energy goals — it is central to long-term affordability and reliability for customers and industry. Building on that topic, we highlight a recent conversation hosted by the Conservative Energy Network on the high cost of inaction and the impact of delaying new grid infrastructure. Larry Gasteiger participated as a panelist along with Zach Zimmerman of Grid Strategies, who co-authored a recent analysis finding hundreds of millions of dollars in lost net-benefits to consumers when large-scale transmission projects are delayed.
We also preview the WIRES Spring Member Meeting in Santa Barbara, which will feature FERC Commissioner David LaCerte as our keynote speaker. And we profile our three newest members, ATC, our 20th Full Supporting Member, and two new Associate Members, Charles River Associates and Kimley-Horn.
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Reinforcing Transmission as a Solution to Energy Challenges in 2026
David Burnham
WIRES 2026 President
Director of Transmission Policy, Eversource
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As WIRES marks its 20th anniversary this year, I am honored to serve as the president of an organization that has provided a consistent, credible voice on the value of the electric transmission system and its critical contributions to economic growth, technological advancement and customer reliability for two decades. That voice is as important now as it has ever been, as transmission policy is once again underpinning many aspects of the national energy conversation in 2026. After being involved with WIRES for nearly 10 years, I’m looking forward to partnering with many of you as president to advance our shared priorities this year.
2026 is already shaping up to be an interesting year. There’s new leadership at FERC and an increased focus on the role of transmission in supporting load growth and national security. Electricity demand continues to rise, driven by the construction and operation of more data centers, manufacturing growth, and broader electrification across the country. At the same time, much of the nation’s transmission infrastructure is reaching the end of its life expectancy. These realities point to a clear conclusion: long-term transmission investment is no longer optional, and delay only compounds cost and risk — for utilities, developers, and most importantly, for customers.
Affordability has rightly become a top concern, and it will shape nearly every transmission discussion in the year ahead. One emerging challenge is how we as WIRES members help our stakeholders to understand that transmission investment enables long-term affordability. Transmission projects are essential to maintaining reliability and typically only become more costly with siting and permitting delays. With these projects being increasingly scrutinized as a result of the nationwide focus on affordability, communicating the value and judiciousness of our investments clearly and consistently is even more critical to sustaining public and regulatory confidence.
Throughout 2026, WIRES will continue to engage collaboratively with policymakers, regulators, and other stakeholders with a particular emphasis on how transmission investment is a solution to many of the energy challenges we are facing today, with affordability being paramount. It is critical that we use our 20 years of experience as a trusted voice to educate and reinforce the importance of a modern, resilient transmission network.
We will also take time to reflect on WIRES’ 20-year legacy and the progress made by this community at a special anniversary event in Washington, DC, in November. I’m looking forward to celebrating this milestone and continuing the important work ahead, together.
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The findings of Grid Strategies’ recent analysis for WIRES on the cost to consumers of delaying needed transmission projects continue to generate significant attention and discussion across the industry.
In mid-December the Conservative Energy Network hosted a webinar – The High Cost of Inaction: How Grid Delays Undercut America’s Growth. The panelists included Zach Zimmerman, a co-author of the recent Grid Strategies’ analysis; Larry Gasteiger, Executive Director, WIRES; Jeff Dennis, Executive Director of Electricity Customer Alliance; and Karen Onaran, President & CEO of Electricity Consumers Resource Council.
Larry made a compelling case that while affordability concerns often focus on upfront infrastructure costs, an impact that is frequently overlooked is the cost of not advancing needed transmission projects — with consumers and businesses paying a big price in lost benefits, deferred job opportunities, and setbacks to economic and national security objectives. Larry noted that with grid infrastructure investment declining over the past decade, the consequences are already being felt. He stressed that instead of kicking the proverbial can down the road, policymakers must act urgently to accelerate development and remove barriers — particularly given that large-scale transmission projects already take 10 or more years to build.
Zach detailed the findings of his recent analysis, quantifying the costly impact on consumers and the economy. He found that for every $1 billion in large-scale transmission investment that is delayed, consumers lose an estimated $150 million to $370 million in net benefits annually. Additionally, he shared his estimate that the delay deferred 11,000 to 25,000 in direct, indirect and induced job-years. The report’s bottom line is clear — transmission delivers benefits that far exceed its costs, and continued delay harms consumers, weakens the economy, and undermines national security.
Visit the Delaying Transmission Increases Costs and Reduces Benefits for Consumers report page to access the report and one-pager.
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Spring Meeting
April 29-30, 2026 in Santa Barbara, CA
| | In late April, WIRES looks forward to convening our members in beautiful Santa Barbara, California, for our Spring Member Meeting. We are excited to welcome the Honorable David LaCerte, FERC Commissioner, as our keynote speaker. Our event page will detail the full program in the next few weeks; visit to learn more about our panel topics and speakers. | | ATC is a Wisconsin-based company that moves energy along the regional electric grid in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois, serving more than 5 million electric consumers. We are experts at what we do: planning, maintaining, operating and protecting the grid. As the electric industry moves toward renewable generation sources, we are transforming our system to continue delivering energy reliably and safely. We proudly support STEM education programs that empower youth with the skills needed to succeed in tomorrow’s energy workforce. For more information, visit www.atcllc.com | | |
CRA’s Energy Practice blends decades of industry knowledge with world-class economic and analytical expertise. Investors, executives, and litigators from across the energy sector have turned to CRA for expert advice in hundreds of successful engagements. CRA’s expertise is grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the energy sector, including electricity and gas markets, litigation and regulatory support, market analytics and strategy, energy asset and enterprise valuation, and energy trading and risk management.
CRA helps utilities plan, evaluate, and justify transmission investments that ensure long-term system reliability, resilience, and economic efficiency. We combine power-system modeling, market analysis, and regulatory insight to support utilities in developing credible, cost-effective transmission plans that stand up to regulatory and stakeholder scrutiny. Our work spans regional and interregional transmission planning, cost-benefit analysis, and policy evaluation, helping clients balance technical needs with strategic, economic, and regulatory considerations. CRA’s interdisciplinary team — combining engineers, economists, and regulatory specialists — bridges the gap between planning analytics and defensible decision-making.
Please reach out to CRA Energy Practice Leader Jim McMahon, jmcmahon@crai.com, to learn more.
| Kimley-Horn is a full-service engineering and planning firm comprised of electrical, structural, mechanical, civil, natural gas, traffic, roadway, and utility engineers; surveying and environmental professionals; permitting specialists; transportation planners; landscape architects; and construction phase specialists. Founded in 1967, Kimley-Horn has grown to encompass more than 9,600 employees in 150+ offices across the United States and Canada, attributing our continued growth and stability to our commitment and dedication to providing quality services to our clients. Our team provides customized, multidisciplinary services for transmission, distribution, substation, renewable energy projects, data centers, and more. For more information, visit www.kimley-horn.com. | | |
Larry Gasteiger is frequently called upon to speak on transmission policy issues and to help shape conference agendas.
Larry served as the DTECH Policy Committee Chair for the panel discussion “One Year Later: Managing the Large Load Surge in a New Federal Policy Era”, that featured distinguished panelists Karen Wayland, CEO of GridWise Alliance; Kerrick Johnson, Commissioner of Vermont Department of Public Service; Jason Handley, VP of Distribution Planning & Studies, Danovo Energy Solutions; and Ann Moore, Industry Principle, AVEVA.
He also visited with more than a dozen WIRES members who were at DTECH exhibiting solutions and services for modernizing the grid.
| | WIRES is widely regarded as a leading authority on transmission issues, with trade and business media regularly seeking out Larry’s insights on transmission policy and the latest developments at FERC. | | Follow Us on Social Media | | WIRES is a non-profit trade association of investor-, publicly-, and cooperatively-owned transmission providers and developers, transmission customers, regional grid managers, and equipment and service companies. WIRES promotes investment in the North American electric transmission system and champions robust and effective transmission solutions to address reliability, economic, environmental and national security objectives. For more information, visit www.wiresgroup.com. | | | | |
