Most Americans flip on a light switch without ever thinking about how fragile our electrical grid actually is. In this episode of Connecting the Dots, Dan Happel and Montana Public Service Commissioner Randal Pinocci break down, in simple, everyday language, how the U.S. power grid works, why it’s failing, and what every state must do to keep the lights on in the years ahead.
You don’t need an engineering degree for this one. Randy explains the grid in plain language how electricity moves across the state, why old power lines are failing, and how fast-growing AI data centers could double or triple electric bills unless we make smarter choices.
One of the biggest questions answered in this episode is why utilities across the country keep reinstalling old, 1940s-era infrastructure instead of upgrading to modern carbon-fiber technology that is stronger, safer, fire-resistant, EMP-resistant, and far more efficient. The long-term savings for ratepayers would be enormous.
This episode removes the mystery around how power gets to your home, why rates keep climbing, and what could happen if the grid faces a major EMP event, blackout, or surge in AI-driven energy consumption. Listeners will come away with a clearer understanding of how vulnerable the grid is and how fixable the problems actually are.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why outdated steel-core power lines are still being installed nationwide.
How carbon-fiber lines can prevent fires, cut energy loss, and protect against EMP events.
Why utilities resist modernization even when it saves ratepayers money.
What would happen to any state during a major EMP, natural or man-made.
Why transformers are one of the biggest grid vulnerabilities.
How AI data centers could overwhelm local grids unless smarter policies are adopted.
Why nuclear energy has become safer, cheaper, and meltdown-proof and why America is behind.
Why cold-weather states (like Montana) can carry more load due to ambient cooling.
What citizens in every state should be demanding from their Public Service Commissions.
Randy also shares surprising inside stories about utility decisions, political roadblocks, and new technology that could dramatically strengthen America’s grid if the nation had the courage to adopt it.
Whether you’re in Montana, Texas, Florida, California, or anywhere in between, this episode will help you understand the grid in a way that no news clip or political talking point ever could.
A practical, eye-opening conversation about the future of American power and what must happen to keep the lights on for every state in the nation.
https://danhappel.com/the-electrical-grid-emp-shielding-ai-data-centers/
