T&D World Live Podcast: APPA’s Scott Corwin on Permitting, Reliability, and Rising Demand
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This episode of the T&D World Live podcast features Scott Corwin, President and CEO of the American Public Power Association (APPA). The conversation centers on the growing pressures facing the U.S. electric grid and the urgent need for policy and permitting reform to support new generation and transmission infrastructure.
Corwin begins by outlining the core challenge: electricity demand is rising faster than supply, driven by factors such as data center growth, AI-related computing loads, and broad electrification. While public power utilities — about 2,000 community-owned systems across 49 states — are accustomed to meeting evolving energy needs, today’s scale of growth is unprecedented. To maintain reliability and affordability, the industry must “build its way out” through new capacity, transmission, and smarter operational strategies.
A major obstacle, Corwin notes, is the lengthy and unpredictable federal permitting process, shaped by environmental laws from the 1970s that have not kept pace with modern grid needs. Long review timelines, inconsistent implementation across agencies, and extended litigation windows hinder planning, increase costs, and contribute to supply chain challenges. Corwin highlights bipartisan legislative proposals such as the SPEED Act and the PERMIT Act, which aim to streamline NEPA reviews, set clearer timelines, define categorical exclusions, and bring more certainty to infrastructure development.
The discussion shifts to the role of policymakers. Corwin expresses cautious optimism about bipartisan momentum for reform and emphasizes that even without new laws, policymakers can drive progress through regulatory oversight and better coordination among federal, state, and local agencies. Collaboration — between industries, utilities, data center operators, and governments — is also essential, and APPA frequently serves as a facilitator in these conversations.
When asked about AI-driven electricity demand, Corwin explains that utilities view it with both excitement and caution. Some communities embrace data center growth as an economic opportunity, while others must carefully evaluate operational impacts. Public power utilities are also exploring their own AI applications for grid management and administrative efficiency.
Corwin touches on APPA’s recent DOE-requested survey examining obstacles to energy infrastructure development. Early findings reflect what utilities experience daily: “analysis paralysis,” multi-step agency reviews, long licensing timelines (especially for hydropower and nuclear), and other procedural bottlenecks.
Reliability concerns are also front and center. Corwin points to recent NERC summer and winter assessments, which highlight increasing risks during extreme weather and peak load conditions. Both insufficient generation and delayed transmission contribute to system stress, and this issue spans every U.S. region.
On the topic of new nuclear development, Corwin describes growing interest in both traditional reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs), with several public power entities participating in early-stage projects. While first-of-a-kind technologies face challenges, he sees strong federal support and long-term potential.
As the episode concludes, Corwin emphasizes that timeliness and certainty — especially in permitting — are key to enabling the next wave of grid infrastructure. Without clearer rules and predictable processes, the U.S. risks falling behind in meeting the power needs of the AI era and broader economic growth. Public power utilities, he says, are ready to lead, but the tools and regulatory environment must evolve to match the urgency of the moment.