U.S. declares electric grid a national defense priority as shortages loom

On April 20, 2026 the U.S. administration issued a Presidential Determination that the nation's electric grid and its associated equipment and supply chains are essential to national defense. The determination notes a shortfall of domestic capacity to design and produce transformers, high‑voltage circuit breakers, power electronics and related components, and authorizes the Department of Energy to use the Defense Production Act to expand domestic production.

A separate report released on January 29, 2026 by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) warns that 13 of its 23 assessment areas are expected to face energy shortfalls before 2030, putting roughly 140 million Americans at risk of power shortages. The NERC Long‑Term Reliability Assessment does not model cyber, physical or environmental threats, focusing instead on routine supply‑and‑demand projections that already show worsening resource adequacy across the continent.