ST. PAUL, MN. Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO) today announced the release of its 2026 Regional Risk Assessment (RRA). The report serves as a critical roadmap for the electric utility industry, identifying the most significant threats to the reliability and security of the bulk power system across the region’s 16 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
As the power grid undergoes a transformation not seen in over 50 years—driven by new technology, evolving policy, and rising customer expectations—the 2026 RRA highlights a system being tested to its limits.
“A reliable and secure power grid is more than a convenience; it is essential to our economy and daily lives,” said MRO’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, RIchard Burt. “As we electrify more of our economy, our dependence on the bulk power system—the backbone of North America’s electricity network—has never been greater.”
Key Findings: Rising Demand and Supply Chain Pressures
The 2026 assessment identified 14 distinct risks, with seven categorized as Extreme or High priority.
Notable trends in this year’s report include:
- Top Priority Risks: The seven risks above are the most critical risks facing the region in 2026, in order of priority.
- Persistent Energy Shortfalls: For the third consecutive year, “Uncertain Energy Availability” remains an extreme priority. While electricity demand continues to climb, projected supply from confirmed generation is not keeping pace[MT1] , creating a widening gap across the MRO footprint.
- Supply Chain Escalation: “Material and Equipment Unavailability” jumped from a Medium risk in 2025 to High priority risk in 2026. This shift is driven by massive utility investments competing for the same specialized electrical equipment required by hyperscale data centers and industrial facilities.
A Roadmap for Mitigation
The RRA is developed in collaboration with industry experts to provide a common foundation for utilities and stakeholders to prioritize resource allocation. To address these findings, MRO is currently developing Risk Management Action Plans (RMAPs) that provide deeper insights and coordinated strategies to reduce regional risks.
“The industry is undergoing a rapid, historic transformation,” Burt concludes. “Coordinated action from multiple players is crucial to achieving the shared vision of a highly reliable and secure North American bulk power system.”
Read more:
Executive Summary | Full Report | Infographic
Note that MRO staff will review the 2026 RRA key findings on February 26, 2025.Register here.
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Midwest Reliability Organization is a non-profit dedicated to ensuring the reliability and security of the bulk power system in the central region of North America. MRO’s footprint includes portions of Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Our responsibilities include monitoring and enforcing compliance with mandatory standards, assessing the regional grid’s ability to meet power demand, analyzing system disturbances, and sharing information and best practices with electricity stakeholders across the region.