Consolidated Edison Chief Executive Tim Cawley said on Tuesday in New York that the utility must expand and strengthen parts of its electricity grid to cope with increasingly prolonged and intense heat waves.
Speaking at the Reuters Global Energy Forum, Cawley said extreme temperatures are placing greater strain on grid infrastructure, requiring larger and more resilient equipment rather than a complete redesign of the power system.
U.S. utilities have been investing heavily in grid modernization as they confront rising electricity demand and more frequent severe weather events linked to climate change.
Cawley noted that New York can improve grid performance and contain costs by making better use of rooftop solar installations, battery storage systems, demand-response programs and advanced grid data technologies.
He said the state does not require a fundamental overhaul of its electricity network, but rather smarter deployment of existing and emerging energy resources.
While data centers are contributing to higher electricity consumption, Cawley said Con Edison is currently seeing demand of about 60 megawatts from the sector, well below the roughly 800-megawatt levels reported by some utilities.
He identified the electrification of transportation and building heating systems as the primary drivers of long-term load growth across the utility’s service territory.
Cawley also voiced support for utility-owned large-scale renewable energy projects, particularly developments in upstate New York connected to major downstate demand centers through transmission infrastructure.
He added that artificial intelligence and enhanced real-time grid monitoring can help utilities optimize voltage levels, improve operational efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
According to Cawley, greater access to data from smart meters and system telemetry will enable Con Edison to lower emissions, reduce customer costs and maintain grid reliability as electricity demand continues to rise.