The Iran war is exposing America’s grid problem | Energy Gang

The Iran war is becoming a stress test for America’s power grid, supply chains and energy security. Live from day two of the ACORE Finance Forum in New York, Energy Gang explores the growing pressure on US energy infrastructure, clean technology supply chains and grid resilience as demand surges from artificial intelligence, data centres and electrification. Supply chain expert Lori Ann LaRocco explains why disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is affecting far more than oil. Around 70,000 products rely on petrochemicals moving through the region, including data centre coolants, industrial chemicals and clean energy components. Even if the strait reopened tomorrow, she warns supply chains could take at least a year to normalise. José Antonio Miranda, chief executive of Avangrid, says transmission is now the single biggest constraint on the energy transition. Wood Mackenzie’s Cara McNutt warns that generation queue requests are already three to four times larger than what the market can realistically deliver. The panel also breaks down Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) rules, cyber security risks tied to Chinese technology, and why small modular reactors remain a longer term solution rather than an immediate fix. Ray Long of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) says the US needs 166 GW of new capacity within four years, roughly equal to building New York City’s peak power demand 15 times over. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why the Strait of Hormuz crisis affects clean technology and data centres, not just oil Why transmission delays are becoming the biggest barrier to renewable energy growth How FEOC rules are reshaping clean energy finance and investment decisions Why grid reliability concerns are rising as dispatchable generation retires What utilities can realistically build fastest between gas, solar, wind and storage Why cyber security risks differ from supply chain dependency risks Why small modular reactors are unlikely to scale before the 2030s CHAPTERS 00:00 America’s growing grid challenge 01:05 Why Hormuz disruption affects clean technology 05:08 Inflation shocks moving through supply chains 13:52 Transmission delays and data centre demand 21:03 What generation can actually be built quickly 32:10 Cyber risk versus supply chain dependency 44:20 FEOC rules and clean energy finance 52:03 Reliability risks on the US grid 58:36 Solar and storage adoption trends 01:15:30 The race to add 166 GW of power capacity KEY INSIGHTS US generation queue requests are already three to four times larger than realistic supply China outspent the US four to one on transmission investment last year New transmission lines can take 10 to 15 years to complete Wind and solar provide a structural hedge against fuel price volatility LNG disruption risks could continue for another three to five years RESOURCES Listen on other platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GT5BuD... Overcast: https://overcast.fm/login More analysis: https://www.woodmac.com Follow Energy Gang: X: @TheEnergyGang LinkedIn:   / wood-mackenzie   GUESTS Lori Ann LaRocco, President of LaRocco Consulting and author of of Trade War: Containers Don't Lie LinkedIn:   / loriannlarocco   José Antonio Miranda, Chief Executive Officer, Avangrid LinkedIn:   / jos%c3%a9-antonio-miranda   Harry Krejsa, Director of Studies, Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology LinkedIn:   / harrykrejsa   Kara McNutt, Vice President, Head of Americas Power and Renewables Consulting, Wood Mackenzie LinkedIn:   / kara-mcnutt   Benoy Thanjan, Founder & CEO, Reneu Energy and host of Solar Maverick podcast LinkedIn:   / bthanjan   Ray Long, President and Chief Executive Officer at ACORE LinkedIn:   / ray-long-a89a816   HOST Ed Crooks, Vice Chair, Americas, Wood Mackenzie LinkedIn:   / edcrooks   Energy Gang and Interchange Recharged publish every two weeks. Subscribe for more analysis on energy transition, climate, clean technology and global energy markets. Should the US prioritise grid reliability or speed of clean energy deployment? Let us know in the comments. Visit www.acore.org to learn more about ACORE's work and upcoming events, like the ACORE Grid Forum on October 22 in Washington, D.C.