Government Energy Policy, Business and Technology

Electric Grid Investment on Track to Fall $208 Billion Short Over Next Decade, Civil Engineers Say

Route Fifty: America’s electricity grid is facing an estimated $208 billion investment gap through 2029, as infrastructure grows old and the nation moves away from coal as a fuel for power plants and toward renewable energy sources like wind and solar, according to a report the American Society of Civil Engineers released on Tuesday.

The figure is an attempt to capture the difference between projected spending on electricity infrastructure based on current trends, and the investment required to adequately meet the nation's needs. The estimate is based on household and business electricity demands and other factors, like the age of existing equipment and the anticipated shifts in fuel sources. If the timeframe for the estimate is extended out to 2039, the projected investment shortfall grows to $338 billion.

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