#138: The Electricity Affordability Challenge with Allison Clements

How do we keep electricity affordable while meeting rising demand? In this episode of Experts Only, Jon Powers sits down with Allison Clements, former Commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, for a timely conversation on the growing electricity affordability challenge. They discuss what is driving higher power costs, how aging grid infrastructure and extreme weather are straining the system, and why the rapid growth of data centers is accelerating the need for solutions. Allison also shares insights from her time at FERC, including the importance of transmission planning, interconnection reform, and creating rules that allow new technologies to compete. The conversation also explores what states, regulators, and industry leaders can do now to improve reliability, expand capacity, and build a more efficient and affordable grid. This episode covers: - the root causes of the electricity affordability crisis - how data centers are changing grid planning and power demand - the role of transmission, storage, and distributed energy resources - where federal and state policy can move faster - what it will take to build a more reliable, affordable energy system Listen now to hear Allison’s perspective on one of the most important energy issues facing the country today.