In 2026 this risk elevated to a high priority due to competition for electrical equipment from data center developers and traditional utility customers. The global supply chain remains strained and cannot simultaneously meet multiple demands: responding to emergency events such as severe weather, replacing aging electrical equipment, and supporting new generation and transmission projects needed to serve rising electricity demand. Lead times for transformers and circuit breakers are well above historic norms. Delays in replacing failed or damaged equipment can extend outage durations and reduce the availability of transmission facilities needed to maintain reliability. Limited access to materials and equipment can also delay planned projects that address identified reliability issues or bring new generation online to serve customer load.