Episode 100 Special: The State of the Electric Grid in the Face of Increasing Electrification Demands with Scientist Meredith Angwin
In this special show celebrating the 100th episode of Path to Zero, Tucker invited back one of his most popular guests. Meredith Angwin is a renowned author and expert on energy and the electric grid. We get the latest analysis from Angwin on the current health and future of the electric grid. Her groundbreaking book, Shorting the Grid: The Hidden Fragility of our Electric Grid shines a light on how vulnerable America’s energy backbone is becoming.
Angwin wrote the foreword to Tucker’s upcoming book, also called Path to Zero, where he jumps to the year 2050 and looks back on how we achieved a net-zero carbon future with the insight of many of the 100 guests interviewed on this podcast. The book can be pre-ordered right now and will be formally launched in September during Climate Week in New York City.
In addition to talking to Meredith Angwin, this special episode also features Tucker reflecting on some his most memorable exchanges with his 100 guests that he selected to be featured in his book.
As a working chemist, Meredith Angwin headed projects that lowered pollution and increased reliability on the electric grid. Her work included pollution control for nitrogen oxides in gas-fired combustion turbines and corrosion control in geothermal and nuclear systems. She was one of the first women to be a project manager at the Electric Power Research Institute where she led projects in renewable and nuclear energy.
Key Takeaways and Insights from Tucker’s interview with Meredith Angwin:
- Utilities are struggling to meet the increasing demand for energy during peak periods, especially with the rapidly growing number of electric vehicle and demand from data centers.
- Efforts to block nuclear facilities hinder its potential despite its energy density, low cost, and carbon-free nature.
- Small modular reactors (SMRs) hold promise for the future of nuclear power.
- Why the average consumer needs to understand the potential consequences of transitioning away from the conventional power grid.
- The need for energy storage with renewables is a tough problem but not “unsolvable” in Angwin’s view
- Scientific facts should guide energy decisions rather than political beliefs.
- Meredith’s new content on Substack, “The Electric Grandma.”
Resources
The Spectator World – Meet Meredith Angwin, the grandmother changing the energy industry
City Journal-Can nuclear energy make a comeback?
National Review- The Vulnerabilities of World Energy Production