WASHINGTON (April 14, 2026) —  

This morning, Axios Live and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) hosted an event Electricity in Transition: Strengthening the Grid for What’s Next.

The event explored how surging demand, extreme weather, emerging technologies, and widespread electrification are reshaping the nation’s energy grid. Leaders discussed the policies and investments needed to keep the grid resilient, affordable, and powering the energy of every day.
EEI Vice Chair Chris Womack, chairman, president, and CEO of Southern Company, joined Axios Publisher Nicholas Johnston for a View From the Top discussion. Axios reporters Hans Nichols and Sabrina Moreno interviewed Peter Lake, senior director of power on the White House’s National Energy Dominance Council, and Reps. Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) and Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

WATCH: Womack highlighted EEI’s ongoing efforts to communicate the value of the electric power industry and its role in the broader economy.

“EEI's campaign is talking about all the things we do as an industry and the value and benefits that we bring. The ‘Energy of Every Day’ campaign is making sure in this growing period, people really understand the value of electricity.”

He added that electricity is a foundational component of the U.S. economy. “Electricity represents about 5 percent of the economy, but without that first 5 percent, the other 95 percent of the economy simply doesn’t happen.”

Womack also shared his thoughts on meeting rising energy demand, strengthening grid reliability, and keeping electricity as affordable as possible for all customers.

“We’ve got to build a lot of infrastructure to meet this incredible growing demand that’s going to benefit our economy, benefit our communities, and help the United States lead in the technologies of the future.”

He discussed the importance of reliability and the industry’s role in delivering essential services to customers every day. “Reliability is the foundation of everything we do. Our customers expect the lights to come on every single time they flip the switch,” he said.

Womack concluded by emphasizing the industry’s preparedness to meet growing demand. “We were built for this moment. The electric power industry has the experience, the workforce, and the plan to meet growing demand reliably.”

WATCH: Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) kicked off this morning’s session with her thoughts on America’s energy landscape and insights from her time as a leading state regulator in North Dakota.

“We really aren’t transitioning—we are expanding, and we need to expand faster than we ever have in the past. We have always recognized energy plays a vital role in industry and commerce and affordability for our citizens.”

Rep. Fedorchak also discussed ways to build new infrastructure faster and the importance of clear market signals to support investment. “We have to get more serious about building things quickly. We need good, strong signals to the market and common-sense policies to help us build faster.” She added, “Permitting timelines and regulatory processes have to match the urgency of the moment.”

“I do think that the vertically integrated markets have some advantages because you have a regulator looking at them and helping the companies make those decisions,” she said. “You also have a direct connection to the reliability issue compared to the competitive markets.”

She further emphasized the importance of ensuring that data centers and other large load customers pay their fair share.

“We have to make sure that the folks driving the need for these massive investments in transmission are paying for them, and that we do not postage stamp those costs to all American citizens,” she said.

WATCH: Peter Lake, senior director of power on the White House’s National Energy Dominance Council, discussed America’s growing energy needs and the role of electric companies in supporting economic growth and innovation.

“The goal is to make sure we meet growing demand while protecting ratepayers and ensuring customers are not bearing costs unfairly,” he said.

He added, “We are doing everything possible to set the stage for the electric system to meet this level of demand, and utilities across the country are rising to the occasion.”

Lake underscored the urgency of modernizing infrastructure and streamlining development timelines to meet future demand. “Under the current construct, it is highly unlikely we can meet America’s electricity needs without permitting reform.”

He added, “Speed matters when it comes to building energy infrastructure, and permitting reform is a big part of that.”

WATCH: Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) shared her perspective on the rapid growth of data centers and the need for coordinated planning across industry and government.

“The average household has 21 devices connected to data centers. They are going to be a fact of life. The larger question is… how do we ensure that the cost to run a data center—whether it's the energy costs or the costs to bring a data center in—are not disproportionately burdening our communities.”

Rep. McClellan further emphasized the importance of ensuring that new demand does not shift costs onto customers. “More importantly, we have to make sure that data centers are paying their fair share of the energy demands that they produce, and not consumers or other businesses.”

She added, “Our number one responsibility is to make sure energy remains reliable and affordable for the families and businesses we serve.”

Watch the full Axios Live event here.