Dana Taylor

Today is Monday, March 23rd, 2026.

Here to discuss the current state of the U.S.

power grid, the challenges ahead, and what solutions might help keep it reliable is Johanna Matthew, an associate professor at the University of Michigan.

Thanks for joining me on The Excerpt, Johanna.

As I just mentioned, there have been some major power outages across the US in recent years.

Tell me about some of the most worrying failures from your perspective.

Johanna, when you step back and look at the U.S.

power grid today, aging infrastructure on the one hand and rising demand on the other, what are the biggest problems you see?

Data centers are becoming massive electricity users.

Some tech companies are exploring their own power systems while grid operators worry about big clusters of data centers suddenly ramping demand up or down.

From where you sit, what kinds of challenges do both of these situations create for grid stability?

What other sources of demand growth are starting to matter for grid operators?

You mentioned air conditioners and electric cars.

Which ones are hardest to plan for?

Extreme weather like that 2021 winter storm in Texas is no longer a rare stress test.

It's becoming routine.

So how does that change the way grid operators think about reliability and risk?

Many people tend to think grid reliability lives at the power plant or transmission level.

How much of the solution could actually come from everyday buildings and devices and what would have to change to make that work?

The internet is awash in headlines that say the grid is heading towards failure.