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ARTICLE · 04 FEBRUARY 2026

2026 Energy Outlook: How Affordability, Data Centers, And Grid Constraints Will Shape Policy

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
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Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

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If previous years were labeled as years of "energy transition," 2026 will be the year that "energy affordability" dominates politics and policy, with the electricity system as the central focus.

United StatesEnergy and Natural Resources
John Lushetsky
John Lushetsky
R. Neal Martin
R. Neal Martin
Myria S. Garcia
Myria S. Garcia
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Energy Affordability Becomes the Center of US Politics in 2026

If previous years were labeled as years of "energy transition," 2026 will be the year that "energy affordability" dominates politics and policy, with the electricity system as the central focus. A combination of factors is reshaping the US energy agenda in ways that cut across traditional party lines, including:

  • rapid load growth from data centers,
  • rising scrutiny of permitting to allow for increased transmission and generation,
  • a renewed push to finance firm capacity (especially nuclear), and
  • a widening industrial policy consensus around critical minerals.

Our view is that in 2026, the winning strategy — for policy makers, candidates, and companies — is to stop treating these issues as separate lanes. The grid is now a full-stack political economy problem: generation, transmission, fuel supply chains, and household bills are converging into a single narrative. Candidates and policy

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