This week, EEI is proud to support the United for Infrastructure 2022: Lead with Infrastructure campaign. Over the past decade, United for Infrastructure has highlighted the importance of investing in resilient, modern, and equitable infrastructure.

Electric transmission infrastructure is the backbone of the nation’s energy grid and will play an important role in facilitating the continued transition to a resilient, clean energy future. EEI’s member companies are vital to transmission development and have invested in cost-effective transmission for more than 100 years.

In 2021, EEI’s member companies spent $143.3 billion to make the energy grid stronger, smarter, cleaner, more dynamic, and more secure. Approximately $27.8 billion of those investments were dedicated to transmission infrastructure. These investments are necessary to meet the demands of the future energy grid and the clean energy economy, and to maintain the reliability and resilience of the energy grid against extreme weather events and evolving cyber-attacks. As always, EEI’s member companies are laser focused on making these investments while minimizing cost impacts to customers.

Last year, EEI successfully advocated for many of the key provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that became law when President Biden signed the legislation. We join United for Infrastructure in applauding Congress for passing this bipartisan legislation, which included nearly $5 billion to support transmission development. EEI is now focused on coordinating and leading industry efforts related to funding programs and implementation of the law, and on advocating for additional clean energy tax policies, including new tax credits for transmission.

Here are some ways you can learn more about the importance of investing in transmission infrastructure:

• Follow the hashtag #LeadWithInfrastructure on Twitter. 
• Read EEI’s latest transmission report, “Planning and Developing Electric Transmission Projects: The Path to the Grid of the Future.”
• Read EEI Executive Vice President Phil Moeller’s column titled, “The Great Expansion: Large-Scale Renewables and Transmission,” in the latest issue of Electric Perspectives.
• Listen to the Electric Perspectives Podcast episode, "Leading Infrastructure Development." In this episode, Phil Moeller, EEI executive vice president of the business operations group and regulatory affairs, and Larry Gasteiger, executive director of WIRES, join us to discuss the challenges of building new transmission infrastructure, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's recent notice of proposed rulemaking on transmission, and how the funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will be used to support transmission development.