FERC’s final regional transmission rule is coming soon. It has one shot to get it right.

What do Clark Griswold’s Christmas lights display, Eddie Van Halen’s “Eruption” guitar solo and our electric supply all have in common? It takes wires for the magic to happen. 

Wires are the unsung heroes that make holiday lights sparkle, put the “rock” in rock-n-roll and power everything at the end of a plug. In the energy industry, wires are transmission lines. But unlike Clark, who can purchase a new extension cord at the local Ace Hardware, or Eddie, who can replace a broken patch cord at Guitar Center, America’s electric grid requires a bit more effort to fix and upgrade — and it desperately needs it.