Electricity demand is rising, although how much and how fast remains an open question. But new data centers, increased domestic manufacturing, and the electrification of buildings, transportation, and industry means we need more electricity at a time when fossil plants are retiring. Likewise, we need to reimagine how to run a clean system while updating outdated equipment – 70 percent of transmission lines and transformers are at least 30 years old.

New Energy Innovation research walks through the basics of grid reliability and explains why clean energy helps keep the lights on. Yet grid operators, reliability authorities, and utilities are ringing reliability alarm bells, and outdated views on grid reliability are colliding with slow-moving institutions. This report is a  primer on the basics of planning and operating a reliable grid in the context of the clean energy transition, demystifying how clean energy resources can provide reliability services while also discussing the challenges in achieving a 100 percent clean electricity grid.