Electricity in Transition

A convergence of factors is putting unprecedented stress on traditional actors in the electricity sector. These include accelerated technological change, shifting consumer preferences, business model disruption, new security challenges, a rapidly evolving fuel market, and a changing public policy landscape; this stress is especially acute within the context of slow to flattening demand growth over the long-term. More than ever, the electricity sector has become the focus of a set of public policy debates about the relationship between climate change, energy security, and economic growth.

The CSIS Energy and National Security Program is pleased to host a new series on the changes underway in the U.S. electricity sector. The series will explore the challenges facing actors in the sector—from incumbent market participants to new entrants to consumers to state and federal regulators—and what the options are for public policymakers at the state and federal level.

At the inaugural event, Melanie Kenderdine provided the introductory keynote speech on the Administration’s Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) and how it will tackle these challenges. Gregory Aliff, John Larsen, Christine Tezak, and Miles Keogh then provided an overview of the sector’s challenges and competing priorities, from decarbonization to reliability to affordability. Sarah Ladislaw, Director of the CSIS Energy and National Security Program, and Charles Curtis, Senior Adviser at CSIS, moderated the discussion.