The U.S. electric grid is under strain, with blackouts on the rise and the system’s reliability more frequently tested than ever before in the face of more frequent storms, heat waves, hurricanes, and the like. In diagnosing the causes of diminishing grid reliability, policymakers and experts have pointed to aging grid infrastructure, growing cyber threats, more natural disasters and weather extremes, and overreliance on renewable energy – such as solar and wind.
This white paper argues that the primary cause of our unreliable grid is not the changing energy mix but rather a failure of grid governance. The grid governance system consists of the institutions and rules that control how the grid is planned, built, and operated, and it has three central flaws: (1) jurisdictional silos and inadequate coordination; (2) too little public oversight; and (3) misconceptions of the nature of modern reliability problems, leading to a cabined solution set.
Authors: Alexandra Klass, Josh Macey, Shelley Welton, Hannah Wiseman
This resource was commissioned by or produced by staff of the Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy before the organization rebranded as Ridgeline Center for Law and Policy in 2026.