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Twelve years ago, we thought, ‘Hey, the grid really needs fixing.’ But we were the only people—maybe not the only people, but there weren’t many of us. And now I think there’s a general realization that we’re using more power; it’s coming from different places…We need a much more substantial grid.
Michael Skelly, founder and CEO of Grid United
Many scholars, energy experts, and federal politicians agree the U.S. electric grid is antiquated and increasingly ineffective at meeting the demands of the 21st century. Power demand over time, or “load growth”, has reached historic heights with the expansion of artificial intelligence, electric vehicle ownership, and American manufacturing. As a result, utilities like Arizona Public Service have warned they may run out of transmission capacity by the end of the decade.
Real and imagined climate-fueled energy disasters such as 2021’s Winter Storm Uri or a recent hypothetical model of a summertime blackout scenario in Phoenix, have heightened our awareness of grid-related risks. Whether the focus is climate adaptation or mitigation, our success depends on an increased and secure energy supply.
Michael Skelly, founder and CEO of Grid United, U.S. wind energy pioneer, and the protagonist of the 2019 book Superpower: One Man’s Quest to Transform American Energy, first recognized and began addressing this dilemma decades ago.
Through more than 10 years of developing wind projects, Michael encountered firsthand the limits of renewable energy potential within the existing grid. Solar and wind are intermittent and regionally specific energy resources. The current infrastructure does not provide pathways for these abundant and inexpensive supplies to reach the entirety of the nation. His company Grid United is hoping to change that, with strategic grid-to-grid transmission development projects.
Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and Michael Skelly discuss an emerging joint effort between the public and private sectors to revolutionize transmission planning and development and realize the U.S. electric grid of tomorrow.
Relevant links and resources:
“FERC Issues Order No. 1920 To Accelerate Regional Transmission Planning” (Inside Energy & Environment, 2024)
“UK and Denmark launch Viking Link underwater cable project” (Euro News, 2024)
“What Will We Do With Our Free Power?” (The New York Times, 2024)
“Why the U.S. Electric Grid Isn’t Ready for the Energy Transition” (The New York Times, 2023)
“Explained: Why perovskites could take solar cells to new heights” (MIT News, 2022)
Guest Speaker
Michael Skelly is the founder and CEO of Grid United, an early-stage transmission development company. Prior to that, Michael was founder and president of Clean Line Energy, a company which successfully permitted some of the longest transmission lines in the nation in 50 years. He is a well-known pioneer in the U.S. renewable energy industry, having led the growth of Horizon Wind Energy, which is now one of the largest renewable energy companies in the nation. In his free time, Michael is helping make his hometown of Houston, Texas more livable, walkable, and bikeable across various community improvement campaigns.
