The clean energy transition has been underway for over a quarter century, in the U.S. and around the world. Demand for carbon-free, reliable, and affordable electricity is also rising. In 2024, new wind, solar, and battery storage made up more than 90 percent of the new electricity resources added to the grid, and today over 2.6 Terawatts of new clean energy projects are waiting to connect to the U.S. grid (more than double the grid’s current capacity). Yet deployment challenges and outmoded paradigms are preventing these much-needed resources from connecting to the grid and supporting growing electricity demand.

Clean energy is already supporting reliability and keeping costs low, while also reducing pollution and supporting more electrification. But evolving approaches to grid reliability are needed in the context of a changing world and a changing climate.

This expert panel will provide insights on, and real-world examples of, how clean energy supports resource adequacy and operational reliability. It will also discuss the policies, regulatory changes, and updated market frameworks that policymakers should prioritize to unlock the full potential of all carbon-free resources to sustain a strong and dynamic grid in a fast-moving world.