Annual US Transmission Investments 1996–2023
Prepared by The Brattle Group
Brattle analysts have updated US transmission investment data, which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) made available through the end of 2023. The updated data shows that US transmission grid investments have peaked in 2023 at over $27 billion.
As Principal Hannes Pfeifenberger noted: “That’s good news: we are actually investing to modernize the grid! Unfortunately, the investments we’re making are not sufficient to achieve grid resilience, address demand growth, and meet clean energy goals in a timely and cost-effective fashion. Transmission planning and generator interconnection processes are too siloed and too focused on each region’s and utilities’ local reliability standards, not system-wide benefits – which makes it virtually impossible that these grid investments (including in grid-enhancing technologies) lead to the overall cost savings they would be able to achieve if planned more holistically. FERC’s new Order 1920 may help in that regard.”
For more information on this topic, see Brattle’s presentation “Proactive Transmission Planning for a Clean Energy Transition.”
