Energy Leaders Sound Alarm on Permitting Gridlock and Grid Buildout Gap

At the Concordia Annual Summit, a high-wattage panel on grid security laid bare the paradox at the center of the global energy transition: demand for electricity is surging faster than anyone predicted, but the institutions responsible for building and permitting new infrastructure are moving at a fraction of the required speed. The session, moderated by Secretary-General Angela Wilkinson of the World Energy Council, brought together leaders from Schneider Electric, TC Energy, and Advantage Capital to debate what's actually standing between the world and a reliable, affordable, modern grid.

• TC Energy cites 36-month permitting delay for a simple software upgrade, calling the system "fundamentally broken" across North America
• Data centers branded a "catch-all for society's anxieties about AI," complicating energy infrastructure siting and public trust
• Schneider Electric argues electrification resolves the energy trilemma of security, sustainability, and cost — but speed must quadruple to hit 2035 targets
• Investor warns "uncertainty is the enemy of investment" as permit revocations hit both conventional and renewable energy projects
• Panel converges on digital grid optimization as essential to avoiding massive overbuilding of physical infrastructure

Why it matters: The panelists agreed that no amount of capital or technology can deliver energy security if the permitting system continues to delay projects for years — or if permits can be revoked by political whim.