Something Has To Change
Did you know that the United States’ electrical grid was not built to face today’s climate? In the past two decades, extreme weather events have accounted for 80% of power outages in the United States, leaving our system on the brink of failure. Even more alarming, standards and practices to prevent such damage to our electrical grid are readily available, yet we continue to utilize materials that are not built to withstand the elements of weather.
This can especially be seen in New England, where extreme weather events have had life-threatening effects. As energy demand continues to grow amidst the harsh winters, New England’s aging infrastructure is in desperate need of modernization. Updates to the region’s infrastructure should include using materials designed to withstand the elements and loads required by the most up-to-date standards and practices.
American Society of Civil Engineers. 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. ASCE, 2025, infrastructuresreportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Full-Report-2025-Natl-IRC-WEB.pdf.
American Society of Civil Engineers, Rhode Island Section. 2020 Report Card for Rhode Island’s Infrastructure. 2020. https://infrastructurereportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Report-2020-RI-IRC-FINAL-WEB.pdf
American Society of Civil Engineers, Vermont Section. 2023 Report Card for Vermont’s Infrastructure. 2023. https://infrastructurereportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Report-2023-VT-IRC-FINAL-WEB.pdf.
American Society of Civil Engineers, New Hampshire Section. 2017 Report Card for New Hampshire’s Infrastructure. 2017. https://infrastructurereportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/2017-NH-Report-Card-hq-with-cover.pdf.
American Society of Civil Engineers, Maine Section. 2024 Report Card for Maine’s Infrastructure. 2024. https://infrastructurereportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Full-Report-2024-ME-IRC-TRUE-FINAL-WEB.pdf.