Why we can't skip
on the power lines
Published in The Exponent Telegram,
October 24, 2025 By Craig Blair, Executive Director, West Virginians for Reliable and Affordable Energy
Most of us flip a switch and expect the lights to come on. But the energy that powers your home, car, phone, gas pumps, and grocery store checkout doesn’t magically appear from an outlet. It travels through a complex network of substations, transformers, and transmission lines, sometimes hundreds of miles, to make sure power is available right when and where we need it.
Delivering reliable electricity is tied directly to national security, food security, and economic security. Farms depend on reliable power for irrigation, refrigeration, and processing. Manufacturing, logistics, and commerce depend on steady electricity. The economy depends on it. As President Trump warned, “you have a grid system in this country that’s obsolete and a disaster.” He declared a national energy emergency to ensure the integrity of America’s electrical grid and strengthen its reliability and security.
Transmission lines are not optional; they are essential. It simply isn’t feasible to generate every bit of electricity right next to where it’s used. As our society becomes more digital and rechargeable, with electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, and data centers running around the clock, heating and air conditioning demand growing, and every device demanding power, the strain on our grid only increases. Efficiency has improved, but demand has grown even faster.
Opposition to new transmission lines is understandable. Nobody loves the idea of a large tower appearing near their neighborhood. Over the decades, those who opposed have learned that the squeaky wheel often gets the grease. Every time project planners meet one objection, the expectation grows that everyone can be accommodated, and that is simply not realistic. The lines must go somewhere.
That’s why providers should use existing paths and rights-of-way whenever possible. It’s better for communities, it makes economic sense, and it minimizes the need to create entirely new corridors. Homeowners should understand that the view from their property changes season to season and year to year. When you bought your home, you purchased the land and the assets on it, not a guarantee of an unchanging view.
If we fail to address our transmission needs now, we risk paralyzing ourselves in the near future with blackouts and brownouts, just like many developing nations that lack modern infrastructure. Energy security means having enough reliable power to meet demand at all times. Without transmission upgrades, America could find itself struggling to support its own growth, even as other nations race ahead.
Meanwhile, organized opposition has its voice. But the silent majority, the millions of Americans who rely on affordable, uninterrupted power, need to speak up. Building and maintaining a strong grid isn’t just good for utilities; it’s great for families, businesses, and communities alike.
In short, transmission lines are the backbone of our energy system. Without them, progress stalls. As the Trump Administration stated last July, “The power grid is the lifeblood of the modern economy and a cornerstone of national security. It is facing a confluence of challenges that demand strategic foresight and decisive action.” It’s time we stop treating transmission lines as a local inconvenience and start recognizing them as vital infrastructure, crucial for our economy, our farms, our national strength, and our modern, rechargeable society.
Read it as published in The Exponent Telegram.