Cities Navigate Surging Electricity Demand and Rising Risk
Cities face mounting challenges as new, energy-intensive users like data centers, electrified transit and industrial reshoring strain local grids, while extreme weather events increase the urgency of resilience planning. The Critical Consumer Issues Forum (CCIF) emphasizes that economic development and power planning must now move in lockstep, with cities ensuring early collaboration with utilities to avoid delays, misaligned infrastructure and higher costs. At the same time, cities must advocate for consumer protections so that costs for serving large new loads aren’t unfairly shifted to households and small businesses, while revenues from these projects help keep overall rates down.
The report outlines actionable steps for cities, including integrating grid-hardening into resilience planning, adopting ordinances that require utility review for large projects and coordinating regionally to respond to disasters that transcend boundaries. Transparent permitting, inclusive engagement, and the use of data to improve forecasting are also key. Ultimately, CCIF stresses that growth can be an asset only if it is paired with equitable, grid-ready planning. Local leaders hold the tools to align land use, permitting and utility planning so their communities capture investment while maintaining affordability and reliability for all residents.
