Survey: Public Priorities Shift Toward Grid Resilience and Expansion in the U.S.

A new survey finds that while Americans are worried about rising electricity costs, many are willing to pay slightly more to support a stronger and more reliable electric grid.

According to the WSP Pulse Report: Energy, released during the RE+ conference, 83 percent of respondents expressed concern about affordability. At the same time, 65 percent said they would accept modestly higher costs if it meant building a more reliable grid.

The survey highlights several key themes:

• Expanding grid capacity: Nearly four in five Americans (78 percent) are concerned about whether the grid can keep up with rising power demand, with urban residents (80 percent) slightly more concerned than rural residents (73 percent).

• Confidence in local utilities: Four in five Americans (80 percent) said they are concerned about grid safety in the face of extreme weather events such as hurricanes and wildfires. Still, 69 percent expressed confidence that their local utility is prepared to prevent outages during natural disasters.

• Federal role in transmission and storage: Seventy-one percent said the federal government should accelerate permitting for electric grid projects, even if it reduces local government control. Nearly seven in 10 (69 percent) believe the federal government should invest more in battery storage to strengthen grid resilience.

• Community support for projects: An overwhelming majority (92 percent) said their support for transmission projects through their community would increase if it helped meet national power demand, even if it did not directly benefit them. Nearly as many (94 percent) said their support would increase if projects lowered their own electricity costs over time. Most Americans (90 percent) said they would back new projects if it helped avoid higher costs and delays in the future.

The report also found that more than three-quarters of Americans (77 percent) want more information on how to improve the electric grid in their community. A notable 28 percent, described as “energy enthusiasts,” expressed strong interest in learning more, suggesting an opening for broader public education and engagement.

Mike Case, senior vice president of power and energy at WSP in the U.S., said the findings underscore the importance of stakeholder support for new energy infrastructure as demand continues to be shaped by electrification, artificial intelligence, and domestic manufacturing.