OpenMinds prepared this July 2026 briefing to show how new transmission lines can lower electricity costs and improve reliability, and why complex permitting rules are holding them back. It draws on DOE transmission studies, EIA data and an August 2025 Cygnal survey of likely voters in the MISO and PJM regions.
Key points
- U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow at 10x historical rates through 2035, and the grid will need 800 GW of additional installed capacity to meet 2035 peak demand. Residential prices rose 38% from 2020 to 2025.
- Americans across the political spectrum favor new grid infrastructure.
- DOE found nationwide grid congestion costs close to $15 billion a year from 2021 to 2024, and its 2024 National Transmission Planning Study estimated up to $490 billion in customer cost savings by 2050.
- OpenMinds identified 18 shovel-ready transmission lines that can provide more than $180 billion in net benefits over 40 years. Regional transmission plans show benefit-to-cost ratios as high as $12.20 to $1 for ERCOT's CREZ.
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