Top Ten Resolutions for Utility Executives in 2026: Addressing Major Challenges Facing Utilities in the Coming Year and Decade

The past year revealed a dizzying array of challenges for utility leaders. A change in Administration in Washington paused four years of investment and direction in the clean energy economy, with more retrenchment planned. The acceleration of load growth from data centers and manufacturing added pressure on grid investment needs and affordability. Foreign and domestic wind developers pulled back, and some even canceled offshore wind projects, hindering states' ambitious net‐zero goals. Financial incentives to boost electric vehicle (EV) purchases and charging networks expired prematurely. Despite solar and wind's share of the energy mix surpassing that of coal, the second Trump administration seeks to promote coal as the comeback kid.