Clean Energy EXPO 2025: Meeting Energy Demand

The 28th Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum was held on Thursday, July 24, 2025. The event was hosted by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), with the House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (REEE) Caucuses serving as honorary co-hosts. It featured eight panels, including Meeting Energy Demand.

Patrick Hughes, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Technical, and Industry Affairs, NEMA

Charles Bolden, Senior Director of Congressional Affairs, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)

Matthew Allen, Director of Legislative Affairs, National Hydropower Association (NHA)

Shannon Bragg-Sitton, Associate Laboratory Director, Energy & Environment Science & Technology, Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

Highlights

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The increase in U.S. energy demand is driven by factors such as data center growth, electrification, manufacturing, and construction.
Meeting growing U.S. energy demand requires the diversification of energy sources and the expansion of energy generation, transmission, and storage infrastructure.
Continued development and testing of new, integrated technologies can help improve energy efficiency across the U.S. grid.

Patrick Hughes, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Technical, and Industry Affairs, NEMA

NEMA’s recent study determined that electricity demand from data centers was projected to triple by 2030 and total electricity demand would increase by 50% in 2050 due to data center growth and electrification.
Increased energy generation, transmission, and storage, as well as source diversification, can help address energy demand projections without damaging grid reliability.
Policies around permitting reform and energy-sector workforce growth are crucial for developing the necessary infrastructure to meet U.S. energy demand.

Charles Bolden, Senior Director of Congressional Affairs, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)

With energy demand expected to increase by 337 terawatt-hours in 2028, solar is a reliable and affordable option that can be deployed faster than any other energy source to meet increasing U.S. energy demand.
Increased energy demand is not due to data centers alone, but is also tied to significant increases in manufacturing and construction. These factors and others have led to increases in energy bills for consumers.

Matthew Allen, Director of Legislative Affairs, National Hydropower Association (NHA)

Tax incentives can help expand existing hydropower dams’ capacity by 20 to 25% through the development of new turbines and generators and the expansion of powerhouses.
Only 3% of the country’s 92,000 dams generate power, presenting a big opportunity to expand the hydropower industry without displacing communities or flooding valleys.
The Idaho National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed a tool that helps determine where the highest capacity, non-powered dams exist. They found that most of these dams are federally owned and sited along the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers.
Pumped storage hydropower, marine energy technology, and riverine hydrokinetic technology also present opportunities to increase renewable energy baseload technology to meet the country’s energy demand.

Shannon Bragg-Sitton, Associate Laboratory Director, Energy & Environment Science & Technology, Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

U.S. energy demand is projected to increase by 130 to 150 gigawatts by 2029, requiring the use of all existing energy technologies. INL’s research is focused on bringing these technologies together and advancing them for adoption and deployment by the industry.
Moving away from traditional, single-input and output systems to a more connected, synergistic system can help capitalize on potential energy gains and better meet dynamic energy demands. This involves building large configurable systems with robust control systems that leverage artificial intelligence.
An energy technology proving ground can help demonstrate and test these cutting-edge energy technologies, allowing them to better reach commercial deployment.

Compiled by Jasmine Wynn and edited for clarity and length. This is not a transcript.