Americas power and renewables: five things to look for in 2026

After a turbulent 2025 marked by supply chain disruption, policy upheaval and permitting delays, 2026 will test whether reforms across the Americas can keep pace with rapidly accelerating load growth. Demand from hyperscalers, data centres and electrification continues to rise, even as policy uncertainty, expiring tax credits and infrastructure bottlenecks constrain how quickly new capacity can be delivered.

In the US, gas is no longer a quick or easy fix for near-term capacity needs. Supply chain bottlenecks, rising costs and long lead times are forcing utilities, corporates and regulators to rethink traditional build strategies. At the same time, developers are racing to adapt to a post-OBBBA landscape, reshaping procurement, financing and supply chains to preserve access to federal incentives amid tightening trade and permitting constraints.

Against this backdrop, states, system operators and market participants are being pushed into more interventionist and innovative approaches - from revisiting retirements and RPS targets to accelerating onsite generation, microgrids and “bridge-to-power” solutions for large loads.

In our latest report, Americas power & renewables: five things to look for in 2026, Wood Mackenzie experts drew on insights from Wood Mackenzie Lens Power & Renewables to examine how these pressures will reshape power markets across the region - and where the system is likely to bend, adapt or break.

In the full report, we explore:

• How rising demand, expiring tax credits and gas constraints are redefining capacity strategies in a post-OBBBA world
• Why permitting, trade policy and state-level intervention will be decisive for renewables and grid expansion in 2026
• Whether onsite generation, microgrids and PJM’s FERC colocation reforms can scale fast enough to meet surging data centre demand

Fill in the form at the top of the page to access the full insight and understand what 2026 means for developers, utilities, corporates and investors across the Americas power and renewables landscape.