Bloomberg Talks

Episode: National Grid New York President Sally Librera Talks Energy Demand and Costs
Date: December 15, 2025
Host: Carol and Tim, Bloomberg
Guest: Sally Librera, President, National Grid New York

Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Sally Librera, President of National Grid New York, about how New York’s energy utilities are navigating soaring power demand, modernizing aging infrastructure, and managing the tension between necessary investment and customer affordability. The discussion focuses on the causes and implications of rising demand—especially from AI data centers and advanced manufacturing—while exploring how National Grid is balancing regulatory, political, and environmental pressures in a rapidly changing energy landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Current and Growing Power Demand

• Sally Librera confirms surging energy demand across New York due largely to increased interest from AI data centers and large-scale manufacturing such as semiconductors and computer components.
• Quantifying Demand:
  • The New York Independent System Operator (NISO) manages a "large load queue" for significant new connections.
  • The total power needs in the queue for the next five years have tripled in just one year to about 10 gigawatts.
  • For context, the state’s peak demand is roughly three times this number.

    “One year ago, that queue was one third the size. It literally tripled in just one year.” — Sally Librera [03:09]

Breakdown of Demand Sources

• Increase is not all from data centers; significant growth in energy-intensive manufacturing.
• New York’s grid serves a diverse range of customers: upstate, Long Island, and New York City.

2. Infrastructure Modernization & Challenges

• Aging Grid:
  • Many assets are nearing 100 years old and require urgent upgrades.
  • Upgrades are overdue but have been delayed to minimize bill impacts.
• Strategic Investments:
  • National Grid is “very strategic and pinpointed” about asset replacements, looking for opportunities to improve both capacity and resilience at once.

    "We have been very careful about balancing the bill impacts which customers bear with the investments that we make in our infrastructure." — Sally Librera [04:56]

Resilience and New Technology

• Infrastructure improvements include replacing wooden poles with steel ones and using more robust materials to withstand storms.
• Not always burying power lines, but strengthening what’s above and leveraging tech for cost efficiency and reliability.

3. Affordability vs. Reliability—The Investment Balancing Act

• Affordability is a top concern, especially as living costs rise and political scrutiny increases.
  • National Grid provides bill assistance, energy efficiency programs, and rebates, plus employs consumer advocates in communities.
  • Every infrastructure investment is scrutinized for maximum benefit—more power, more resiliency, and more efficiency.

    “How do you keep your investors happy and the grid reliable without rising bills that make your customers furious and invite regulatory and political pushback? ... That is a hard mandate.” — Carol [05:57]
    “It is a difficult balance, and it's one that we navigate every single day.” — Sally Librera [06:18]

4. Energy Policy and Renewables

• "All of the Above" Approach:
  • National Grid supports a diverse energy mix—renewables, natural gas, and nuclear—highlighting the latest New York State energy report that endorses this philosophy.
• Federal Backdrop:
  • Changing attitudes from the federal government toward renewable energy, namely wind power, are noted but do not drastically change National Grid’s infrastructure priorities.
  • National Grid’s key focus is on building the transmission "highways" needed to deliver any energy source from point A to B.
• Case in Point:
  • National Grid supports major pipeline projects like NESSE due to high natural gas dependence in parts of the state, though they are not always direct operators of these projects.

    “We are working on the infrastructure to move power from point A to point B...We work with generators of all kinds.” — Sally Librera [07:42]

5. Price Pressures & Short-Term Outlook

• Admitted Reality:
  • National Grid customers are seeing higher bills at the moment, driven mainly by necessary infrastructure investments.

    "There are moments, and now is one of those moments where customers are seeing increases on their bills. ... These investments are necessary to make sure that folks continue to have the safe and reliable energy they need." — Sally Librera [08:42]

• These investments enable the grid to unlock and distribute a wider variety of energy sources, including renewables.

  "We're investing in the ability to unlock those energy sources and be able to bring them onto the grid and move them at a greater frequency." — Sally Librera [09:02]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the tripling of demand:

  "One year ago, that queue was one third the size. It literally tripled in just one year." — Sally Librera [03:09]

• On asset replacement and affordability:

  “We look for those opportunities where we can do multiple things with an investment, where we can replace an aging asset with something that's more modern…and more resilient to storms and better leverage technology, so it's cheaper to maintain.” — Sally Librera [04:56]

• On the complexity of the job:

  "It is a difficult balance, and it's one that we navigate every single day." — Sally Librera [06:18]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:31 — Introduction to National Grid’s modernization efforts and market context (AI data centers, rising investment needs)
• 01:47 — Discussion of current power demand and operational scope
• 02:31 — Quantifying new demand (the NISO large load queue and its rapid growth)
• 03:33 — Beyond data centers: growth in manufacturing and its energy impacts
• 04:20 — Why is the grid old and underinvested? The balance between upgrades and bill impacts
• 05:40 — Building resiliency: infrastructure techniques and storm prep
• 05:57 — The struggle to balance investors, affordability, and politics
• 06:58 — Renewable investments amid political headwinds; energy mix discussion
• 07:42 — National Grid’s focus on transmission and supporting supply projects like NESSE
• 08:42 — Discussion of bill increases and necessity of investments now
• 09:02 — Investing for a more flexible and green grid

Tone & Language

The conversation is frank, pragmatic, and technically informative. Sally Librera speaks with a mix of realism and optimism, clearly aware of the tough trade-offs, and emphasizes National Grid’s proactive, customer-conscious approach. Carol and Tim probe for both the root causes of current challenges and tangible implications for everyday consumers and future industry growth.

Summary prepared for listeners seeking a comprehensive, clear understanding of this episode’s content and actionable takeaways regarding the future of energy infrastructure and policy in New York.