Center for Grid Security
Grid policy, planning, and operations fail to account for the power needs of the nation’s defense infrastructure, and the fragmented nature of the power grid has led to the evolution of a system that does not properly account for the needs of the nation overall.
A reliable grid delivering abundant, affordable electricity is perhaps the most critical infrastructure needed for economic development and national security. The U.S. power grid underpins the entire spectrum of military operations Reliable electricity powers essential defense operations including manufacturing, supply distribution, communication, command and control, and intelligence, which are critical to the success of U.S. military missions.
According to the Department of Energy, the U.S. must expand the electricity transmission system by 60% by 2030 to meet projected demand, which is driven largely by new sources of industrial and residential demand, and the explosive growth of data centers to support AI. Yet, more than 70% of the nation’s grid transmission lines and power transformers are over 25 years old. Additionally, weather and non-weather related power outages in the U.S. are becoming more frequent and persistent. As the world shifts to a decarbonized future, a lack of adequate transmission jeopardizes America’s ability to provide power to military installations across the country, ultimately jeopardizing our nation’s security.
Currently, the DoD is the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. government, relying heavily on state and regional grids surrounding each installation to provide power for its operations. As the DoD moves away from vulnerable, fuel-based supply chains and instead electrifies key equipment at almost every level of military operations, the power and performance of the grid becomes increasingly essential.
SAFE’s Center for Grid Security provides policy analysis and recommendations to build out the national power grid. More reliable and affordable power will be necessary to support America’s reindustrialization and our national security.
The Center for Grid Security:
- Actively engages with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Department of Energy (DoE), the Department of Defense (DoD), and state commissions to support a reliable grid throughout the energy transition;
- Supports market reforms to ensure resource adequacy and compensation for generator performance and availability; and
- Provides support for additional cyber and physical security standards to ensure a safe and reliable grid.
Our goals include:
- Robust national transmission to accommodate growing supply and demand;
- A resource generation mix that maintains adequate reserve margins and necessary fuel assurance and reliability to generate power that meets market demand as well as future load growth; and
- A market structure that compensates generators for their performance in meeting peak demand.
Permitting Reform – Foundational for the New Administration:
Current permitting processes delay essential energy infrastructure, compromising national defense, economic stability, and America’s competitive edge—with essential projects taking up to 10-20 years to build. Legislation like the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (EPRA) in the Senate would streamline approvals, enabling timely modernization of our grid to meet national security needs and secure U.S. military readiness. Passing EPRA now means immediate progress towards a stronger and modernized energy system. Read more here.
Danielle Russo, Executive Director, Center for Grid Security
Danielle Russo is an innovative leader and policy expert focused on aligning energy programs and policy with national interests. Danielle has worked extensively on transmission expansion for national security and overall grid security and resilience planning.
She spent four years as a senior analyst and policy writer supporting the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy Resilience and Optimization (ODASD ER&O), where she focused on policy development and decision making for enhancing military installation energy resilience. While there she worked extensively on various efforts, including energy resilience exercises, energy project planning tools, government partnerships, defense critical electric infrastructure, and more.
Her previous experience also includes supporting energy security programs for the U.S. Marine Corps, Army, and Army Reserve.
In 2020, Danielle won a Federal Energy and Water Management Award for her work supporting black start exercises at military installations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Technology from the University of Maryland.
Alessandra (Allie) Chapman, Policy Manager, Center for Grid Security
Alessandra (Allie) Chapman is the Policy Manager for the Center for Grid Security.
She is an environmental and energy policy expert eager to align decarbonization and clean energy initiatives with national security interests. Previously, Allie served for five years in the US Air Force as an Air Battle Manager, during which time she logged over 400 flight hours with the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force in Geilenkirchen, Germany. After transitioning out of the military and starting grad school, Allie interned for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat before finding her way to the Hill through a fellowship with ClearPath. On the Hill, Allie worked on carbon removal technology policy with the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. She joins SAFE in hopes of combining her passion for sustainability and actionable climate policy with her comprehensive military and defense background.
Allie holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Delaware and will soon graduate with her Master of Arts in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
News
SAFE’s Center for Grid Security: Permitting Reform – A National Security Priority for the New Administration
With a new administration prioritizing U.S. infrastructure, economic resilience, and national security, SAFE’s Center for Grid Security has released a series of fact sheets underscoring how permitting reform is critical for modernizing the U.S. power grid. Current permitting processes delay essential energy infrastructure, compromising national defense, economic stability, and America’s competitive edge—essential projects may take […]
FACT SHEET: The Role of Transmission in U.S. Strategic Competitiveness with China
SAFE’s Center for Grid Security has published a fact sheet detailing the PRC’s strategic investments in their transmission network and grid infrastructure. While the U.S. currently enjoys an advantage over China’s grid infrastructure, the CCP’s recent investments aim to close the power generation and transmission gap that currently exists between the PRC and the U.S. […]
FACT SHEET: The Importance of Transmission to American Reindustrialization & Economic Security
SAFE’s Center for Grid Security has published a fact sheet detailing the important role America’s energy transmission infrastructure plays in unlocking significant economic benefits, ensuring long-term reindustrialization, preserving economic competitiveness and supporting our immediate and long-term national security. Bureaucratic gridlock has prevented the U.S. from building and modernizing the necessary infrastructure to power America’s growing […]
STATEMENT: SAFE Applauds Introduction of Permitting Reform Package
Provisions on Interregional Planning and Accelerated Judicial Review are Key to Energy Leadership and National Security Washington, D.C.—The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has unveiled a bipartisan permitting reform proposal led by Chairman Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). In response, SAFE experts issued the following statements: Robbie Diamond, Founder and […]
SAFE Report: U.S. Must Address Power Grid Vulnerability, Transmission Infrastructure To Ensure Secure Energy Transition
Washington, D.C. (September 26, 2023)—Today, SAFE’s Grid Security Project (GSP) released a report, Grid in Peril: The Problem Statement, detailing the significant risks that threaten the U.S. electrical power grid’s ability to provide reliable and resilient electric power. This report outlines the confluence of current and emerging challenges facing this essential infrastructure as the U.S. […]
SAFE Reports
