Storm Fern just knocked out power for nearly a million Americans. But here's what the media won't tell you: this wasn't a freak accident—it's the new normal.

New research from the Union of Concerned Scientists reveals that 100% of the worst power outages in the last decade share one shocking cause. And it's getting worse every year.

This matters now because we're building infrastructure today that needs to last 50 years. But we're planning for yesterday's climate while tomorrow's storms are already here. The result? Billions in damage, lives lost, and communities left powerless when they need electricity most.

Key Takeaways:
• Why every single major blackout traces back to extreme weather events
• The 3 states actually preparing for climate disasters (and why 47 aren't)
• How community-scale microgrids could end power outages forever
• Why low income communities suffer most when the lights go out
• The infrastructure investments we're delaying that will cost lives

The guests are Rachel Licker and Sam Gomberg from the Union of Concerned Scientists, authors of the "Power After the Storm" report. Their research uses fine-resolution power outage data to reveal patterns that should terrify anyone who depends on electricity, which is all of us.

We have the technology to build resilient grids. Solar, wind, batteries, and smart switchgear can create community-scale microgrids that keep the lights on when the big grid fails. The question isn't whether we can do it, it's whether we'll act before the next Storm Fern.

Connect with Union of Concerned Scientists
Union of Concerned Scientists: https://www.ucs.org/
Rachel Licker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-licker-46897646/
Sam Gomberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-gomberg-59b7a35/
Power After the Storm report: https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/Power-After-the-Storm.pdf

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