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Is America’s electric grid on the brink? In this compelling conversation with Meredith Angwin, known as the “Electric Grandma” and author of the groundbreaking book Shorting the Grid , we dive deep 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 for bad policy choices?Topics covered:• Root causes of Northeast grid instability and recent heat wave alerts• Why adding net-zero 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 advocate for change 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-Hidden-Fragility-Electric/dp/1735358002 👉 Follow Meredith Angwin: https://x.com/MeredithAngwinhttps://meredithangwin.substack.com/#GridCrisis #ShortingTheGrid #VirtualPowerPlants #EnergyPolicy #MeredithAngwin #NortheastGrid #ElectricGrid #RenewableEnergy