The power grid is under historic strain. Electricity demand is climbing, climate impacts are intensifying, and the clean energy transition is accelerating. Despite this well agreed upon urgency, new infrastructure projects keep getting stuck in permitting delays, siting disputes, and interconnection backlogs. For the nation’s more than 2,000 public power utilities, in particular, these roadblocks hit especially hard. Communities can’t afford to wait years for the infrastructure that keeps the lights on and rates affordable.
In this episode of Power Perspectives, host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester chat with Scott Corwin, President & CEO of the American Public Power Association (APPA). Scott breaks down why permitting reform is a make-or-break issue for public power, where solutions are emerging, and what “smart permitting reform” could look like to balance speed, reliability, affordability, and community engagement.
Whether you’re in the utility C-suite, working on grid infrastructure in the field, or contributing to the policy debates unfolding in D.C., this episode offers a crucial public power perspective on one of the most urgent issues shaping our energy future.
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