Climate mitigation and adaptation policies are incomplete without consideration of the need for a reliable and resilient power grid. In the United States, the reality (and challenge) is that no one entity is in charge of setting decarbonization targets in the electricity sector while incorporating crucial grid reliability needs. While greater regional integration can help ensure reliability as the resource mix changes, regional market structures do not, on their own, resolve the policy coordination challenges that must be addressed—this is where states must play a strong leadership role. Now is the time for state regulators and state policymakers to strengthen their understanding of the critical role they play in shaping policy targets that meet grid reliability requirements both now and in the decarbonized system of the future. Coordinated, reliability-informed planning is needed, with targeted investment for specific types of resources, many of which are not yet commercially available.

Join World Resources Institute on December 13 for a webinar that explores grid reliability in the United States and how to help state decisionmakers, regulators, RTOs, and other key stakeholders understand what is needed in the immediate and long-term to build a more reliable grid. The event will include a presentation by Dr. Kelli Joseph, author of a new working paper, about key takeaways of grid reliability and resiliency. The presentation will be followed by a panel of experts who will discuss how grid reliability can (and must) be prioritized in lockstep with climate ambitions and conclude with a Q&A with the audience.