Arizona is one of over 20 states participating in the Biden Administration’s Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment Initiative to modernize the U.S. energy grid. Nathan Johnson, an associate professor in The Polytechnic School, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, discusses the need for grid modernization due to aging infrastructure and rising energy demands from electrification and data centers. Modernization efforts should encompass generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption, utilizing diverse energy sources and innovations. Challenges include expanding transmission capacity, accelerating project timelines, and addressing local energy needs to avoid outages. Arizona faces an urgent need for faster infrastructure development to keep up with rapid growth and increasing energy demands.