2026 Energy Summit Recap

Watch Full Recording

The big picture is clear: energy markets are becoming more dynamic. Growing demand, tighter capacity conditions in key regions, and continued infrastructure and policy developments are all influencing the way businesses think about energy procurement, operational flexibility, and long-term planning.

A Market That is Changing Quickly

Projected load growth is increasing pressure on power markets, especially in PJM and MISO. In PJM, summer peak demand is projected to rise from approximately 160 GW today to about 222 GW by 2036, with data centers representing approximately 30–35 GW of incremental peak load by around 2030. In MISO, peak demand is expected to grow approximately 1–2% per year through the mid-2040s, with long-term survey data identifying substantial potential demand from data centers as well.

For customers, these trends matter because they can influence both reliability and long-term cost.

Why Capacity Remains in Focus

A major topic was the relationship between supply, demand, and capacity pricing. More than 8 GW of generation is expected to retire in PJM by 2030, while more than 30 GW is expected to retire in MISO over the same timeframe. New accredited supply is not expected to fully keep pace with retirements and forecasted load growth.

That imbalance is already showing up in market outcomes with PJM auction clearings of $329/MW-day for 2026/27 and $333/MW-day for 2027/28, both at the price cap. In MISO, the 2025/26 planning year summer clearing price was listed at $666/MW-day, which was a record high.

For large businesses, the takeaway is simple: capacity costs remain an important part of the total energy picture and can have a meaningful impact on future bills.

Practical Steps Customers Can Take Now

A key part of our discussion with customers was focused on actions available today to help manage costs and create more flexibility.

Coincident Peak (CP) Service

We shared our Coincident Peak (CP) Service as a practical way for customers in PJM and MISO to help reduce future capacity charges. This service provides notifications that can help customers reduce usage when demand peaks on the system, with the opportunity to save thousands of dollars in capacity charges the following year.

Demand response opportunities

We also talked about how demand response can create value for customers with operational flexibility. We shared that demand response programs allow customers to receive compensation for adjusting electricity consumption in response to grid signals such as grid stress, elevated prices, or raised emissions.

The key takeaway is that operational flexibility may create opportunities to offset costs while supporting grid reliability.

Sustainability Reporting Support

We shared how Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), PPAs, and Emissions-Free Energy Certificates (EFECs) can be accurately represented in our energy dashboard reporting and how they can affect market-based emissions profiles for Scope 2 emissions reporting. Support is available through the Sustainability page and GHG Protocol export in the energy dashboard.

For large businesses managing investor, customer, and internal reporting needs, this visibility can be an important part of an overall sustainability strategy.

Legislative Overview

We also shared a legislative overview to give customers additional context on how state-level policy and regulatory activity may affect competitive markets, large load growth, reliability planning, and future costs across Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Ohio

We shared that Ohio remains supportive of competitive markets, noting the passage of HB 15 in 2025. We also discussed several introduced bills under consideration:

• SB 298, related to virtual net metering
• HB 427, related to voluntary demand response programs
• HB 303, related to a community energy and pilot program

Ohio policymakers are actively discussing topics such as utility-owned small modular reactors and oversight of supplemental transmission projects, although no bills have been filed on those items at the time of the summit.

Data centers were another major topic. We shared that multiple bills had been introduced, with the most likely action being HB 646, a proposed data center study commission intended to review issues such as load growth, economic development, and tax considerations.

Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania several bills and resolutions are tied to affordability, PJM participation, generation adequacy, and transmission planning.

These included:

• HB 1924, the Load Forecast Accountability Act, which had already passed
• HR 361, a study resolution examining the costs and benefits of Pennsylvania’s continued participation in PJM
• HB 1834, a data center regulatory framework
• HB 897 and HB 1272, related to utility-owned generation and resource adequacy
• SB 704, the Grid Stabilization and Security Act
• HB 2223, related to advanced transmission technologies

We also shared that Pennsylvania has been especially active in discussions around PJM affordability and capacity outcomes, including support for actions pursued through FERC litigation and settlement related to PJM capacity pricing.

Broader Retail Competition Efforts

We also discussed broader efforts to expand competitive market access in additional states. We shared that the Retail Energy Advancement League is supporting legislation in multiple states to allow or expand pathways for commercial and industrial customers to procure energy supply outside the incumbent utility.

We highlighted the Buy Your Own Power (BYOP) approach as a targeted model intended to give certain large energy users more procurement flexibility within the existing utility structure.

We also shared that Amplify LA continues to make progress in Louisiana, where competition could advance through a regulatory process rather than legislation alone.

What This Means for Large Businesses

Our 2026 Energy Summit reinforced two important points for large business customers:

• The energy market is evolving in ways that can materially affect cost, reliability, and planning.
• Businesses have practical options available now to take a more active and informed approach.

That includes not only operational tools such as coincident peak services and demand response, but also staying aware of legislative and regulatory developments that may shape competitive markets, infrastructure buildout, and customer affordability in the years ahead.