The utility industry is at a critical juncture in 2026. Utility leaders are grappling with an aging grid, accelerating failure rates and constant budgetary pressures, all while navigating the challenges of immense load growth and extreme weather events.
This creates a precarious operating environment with a persistent concern: how to maintain system integrity with limited resources. For many system operators, the thing most likely keeping them awake at night is the risk of catastrophic failure. But what if the greatest risk lies not in the physical assets or budget, but in the utility’s strategic approach to capital planning?