Winter Storm Fern made one thing clear: the power system we rely on every day is being pushed beyond the conditions it was designed to handle. As extreme weather becomes more frequent, more intense, and more geographically widespread, the costs of outages — in lost power, lost lives, and lost economic activity — will only grow.
A more resilient grid requires both stronger transmission and smarter planning. Regulators play a central role in making this possible by supporting both planned and new transmission expansion and upgrades that deliver broad reliability and cost benefits, including projects that improve interregional power sharing. Legislators can also encourage grid modernization technologies that increase capacity on existing lines as well as threat awareness and responsiveness. And it’s important to take a long-term view of costs, recognizing that investments that reduce outages and price spikes can save customers and utilities money over time.
Likewise, improving home energy efficiency can reduce overall demand on the grid, lower customer bills, and help homes maintain safe indoor temperatures for longer during outages.
Inaction has a cost. Investing now in stronger, more interconnected, and more resilient transmission can help ensure the power system works not just on clear days — but when communities need it most.
From RMI February 3, 2026 By Sarah Toth Kotwis, Ashtin Massie, Laurie Stone
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