“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This old expression is usually invoked when talking about health, but it’s just as applicable to the electric grid. Utilities, communities and countries worldwide face a choice: Invest now or pay more later.
Chicago has gotten an early reminder of that reality over the past 30 days, when freezing temperatures rolled in and a historic burst of November snowfall covered the city, further straining local infrastructure that had been battered by extreme winds, which caused thousands of outages. It was an unmistakable sign of what meteorologists say could be a volatile winter — not just for the Midwest, but for cities across the country where extreme cold, wind and ice are becoming more frequent and less predictable.
The Climate Prediction Center for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued its 2025-26 winter predictions, indicating dramatic volatility ahead. La Niña, a climate pattern characterized by lower-than-average sea surface temperatures, is predicted to increase regional swings between heavy precipitation, ice and bitter cold, which can drive unexpected outages and surges in energy demand.
Put plainly, this winter season will be unpredictable, posing a mounting risk to communities across the country relying on an aging electrical distribution grid.
Each year of underinvestment in our grid compounds the vulnerability of our infrastructure, pushing the cost of future repairs and upgrades higher. We must stop reacting to events. Instead, we — industry, utilities, regulators and consumers — must work together to invest in and build a better grid.
In 2021, electric grid-related outages in the United States alone had a staggering $54 billion economic impact, according to the International Energy Agency. Most of these outages occurred on the distribution grid. This number has risen steadily over time: As a basis of comparison, weather-related electric grid outages in 2011 resulted in an economic impact of $19 billion to $36 billion, according to the Department of Energy.
In addition, in many parts of the United States, the distribution grid is decades old and was never designed to handle today’s demands. Yet, funding for upgrades often lags behind growing power needs, leaving utilities to play costly games of catch-up after failures occur. It’s time to be proactive.
Proactive investment means thinking ahead — not just about today’s challenges but also tomorrow’s opportunities. Utilities, elected officials and regulators tasked with ensuring grid reliability have many solutions available to address the problems we face:
- Advocate for a national standard on distribution grid reliability and resilience: Industry leaders have an opportunity to work together toward a federal standard for distribution grid resilience. Clear, consistent metrics that reflect today’s challenges, especially the impact of extreme weather, can help regulators and the public understand why these investments matter. When paired with data on the economic costs of outages, these standards can make the case for smarter, more resilient infrastructure.
- Continue to innovate: Building the grid of the future means continuing to innovate. Technologies that combine intelligence with action, such as smart switches and sensors that enable automatic response and self-healing, have already proved their value in improving reliability. Utilities can build on these successes by investing in proven solutions while also piloting new approaches to meet emerging challenges.
- Communicate benefits: Customers want to know how grid investments translate into better service. Utilities can strengthen trust by clearly explaining how these upgrades reduce outages, improve reliability and support community resilience. Transparent communication helps customers see the connection between investment and the reliability they experience every day.
Most distribution grids throughout the U.S. are in dire need of attention, and while the grid fortunately has held up in recent weeks, the winter season has just begun. The choices we make today will determine whether our infrastructure is a source of strength or a point of failure ahead. Investing in grid infrastructure is not just a matter of avoiding outages; it’s an opportunity to build a system that is safer, more reliable and more resilient to meet our future power needs.
In the face of increasing unpredictability, the question is not, “How can we afford to invest in the grid?” but rather, “How can we afford not to?”
Kumar Chandran is a senior director at S&C Electric Co. who leads S&C’s commercial strategy and business development.
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