On April 30, ASCE hosted infrastructure leaders and policy experts to showcase the U.S. energy sector.
Following the release of the 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, the discussion shared key findings on the state of U.S. infrastructure which received a C in its latest report. As energy was the central focus of the webinar, the exchange centered as well on the status of energy infrastructure; energy was one of only two categories receiving a lower grade than four years prior coming in at a D+ in the 2025 report. Report authors cite accelerating demand for energy driven in large part by data centers as well as outdated infrastructure as primary reasons for the decreased grade. In turn, discussion was provided on solutions to drive improvements in energy infrastructure which include updated codes and standards for enhanced reliability and designing energy facilities with life cycle costs and addition of transmission grid infrastructure for improved efficiency.
Panelists share various perspectives bringing clarity to the status of energy sector, issues shaping the sector, and outlook on future needs and development. On supply and demand, both areas are experiencing major attention with investment reaching unprecedented levels bringing in a mix of generation sources to meet the exceedingly high needs in energy use with an upward trajectory. Various degrees of risk were also driven by impacts from extreme weather, ability of gas and other sources to be used consistently, and onboarding of data centers driving unparalleled energy demand. Utility-level issues were also highlighted illustrating both challenges and opportunities in sustaining energy amid environmental factors, sector expansion, and maintenance.
Featured speakers for the presentation:
- Howard Gugel, Senior VP, Regulatory Oversight, North American Electric Reliability Corporation
- Bill Pfister, Senior Director, Business Analytics & Finance, Edison Electric Institute
- Jim Lehan, Manager, Transmission/Civil Engineering, Nevada Energy
- Otto Lynch, Vice President, Head of Power Line Systems, Bentley Systems/Power Line Systems
The webinar recording is available here. Presentation slides can be found here.
A special thank you to our sponsor for the event, Power Line Systems/Bentley Systems!