LITTLE ROCK, Ark., April 21, 2025 -- Four reports released in recent weeks present a troubling situation: the Southeast's power grid is no longer up to the task of supporting America's economy, energy independence, or national security.
Collectively, these independent analyses—The Brattle Group's Southeast transmission report, SREA's Winter Storm Elliott review, the national defense-focused Unleashing the Grid report, and the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2025 Energy Infrastructure Report Card—point to one simple conclusion: our energy system is aging, fragmented, and failing to meet the needs of a modern America.
The Crisis in the Southeast: A Convergence of Warning Signs
???? America's Grid Just Got a D+ – According to ASCE's 2025 Infrastructure Report Card, the U.S. energy system has declined in performance, reliability, and readiness to meet growing electricity demands. The report calls for doubling transmission capacity to meet rapid electrification, citing major vulnerabilities in regions like the Southeast.
???? Winter Storm Elliott Revealed the Cracks – SREA's report on Winter Storm Elliott showed that thousands of megawatts of gas and coal generation failed during peak hours, while solar performed reliably. Yet a lack of interregional transmission left the Southeast unable to import power when it was needed most.
???? Brattle Finds Billions Left on the Table – The Brattle Group found that the Southeast is missing out on $8 billion in cost savings by failing to invest in regional transmission upgrades—a fix that would also reduce blackout risks and unlock cheaper energy resources.
???? A Decade of Grid Inaction – The Southeast remains the only U.S. region not to approve a single regional transmission line, despite explosive demand growth from new manufacturing hubs and data centers.
National Security Implications: Grid Weakness Is a Strategic Liability
The report Unleashing the Grid: Energy Dominance for National Defense outlines how military readiness, defense manufacturing, and emergency response depend on the civilian electricity grid. With energy demands from cybersecurity, and next-gen defense systems rising fast, the Department of Defense's ability to execute missions is at risk if grid failures persist.
"The electric grid is not separate from our defense system—it is part of it," said the authors. "No mission is executed in isolation, and the military can't operate without a resilient, high-capacity grid."
The report calls for integrating military energy needs into transmission planning and highlights the risk of leaving military installations vulnerable to long-duration, regional blackouts caused by outdated or insufficient transmission.
The Bottom Line: It's All One Story
"These reports don't just highlight one problem—they tell a shared story about a system in decline," said Simon Mahan, Executive Director of the Southern Renewable Energy Association. "The Southeast is growing fast. Our power needs are growing faster. But our grid is not keeping up. If we want to power our economy, secure our national defense, and give businesses and families reliable energy, we must act now to invest in the backbone of our grid."
What Needs to Happen Now
Business leaders, military experts, and grid analysts are calling on decision-makers to:
- Treat grid investment as a strategic imperative for U.S. energy dominance.
- Modernize regional transmission planning to reflect today's reliability, cost, and security needs.
- Accelerate permitting and investment for high-voltage transmission lines across the Southeast.
- Increase interregional transfer capability to prevent blackouts during extreme weather and high demand.
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