US Grid Crisis Exposed Virtual Power Plants, NE Instability & Shorting the Grid with Meredith Angwin

Is America’s electric grid on the brink? In this provocative conversation with Meredith Angwin the “Electric Grandma” and author of the fantastic book Shorting the Grid — we take a deep dive into the hidden fragility of our power system. Meredith breaks down the growing instability in the US Northeast, why reliability margins are tightening, the real reasons behind emergency demand alerts, and how policy decisions, just-in-time natural gas, and intermittent renewables are creating serious risks. We also examine the hype versus reality around Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — are they a genuine solution for grid pressure or just a clever distraction to mask poor policy choices? Topics covered: • Root causes of Northeast grid instability and recent heat wave alerts • Why adding increased electrification demand is risky on a fragile system • The promise and limitations of Virtual Power Plants • Lessons from Shorting the Grid on market failures and accountability • What needs to change for a reliable energy future • What people can do to get involved or advocate for better outcomes If you care about keeping the lights on, energy policy, or understanding the real challenges facing America’s grid, this episode is essential listening. Listen now and share your thoughts in the comments! 👉 Read Shorting the Grid: https://www.amazon.com/Shorting-Grid-... 👉 Follow Meredith Angwin on Substack: https://meredithangwin.substack.com/ 👉 Follow Meredith Angwin on X: https://x.com/MeredithAngwin #GridCrisis #ShortingTheGrid #VirtualPowerPlants #EnergyPolicy #MeredithAngwin #NortheastGrid #ElectricGrid #RenewableEnergy