Skip to content
Sign in
Artwork for Open Circuit
Open Circuit · Monday · 50 min

Could AI swarms take down the grid?

The prepping vibes online are very high right now. Spend any time on X, and you’ll get inundated with warnings about AI hacking, possible grid collapse, and stockpile checklists. There’s a reason people are anxious. Security experts are sounding the alarm about AI agent swarms that are targeting infrastructure. Governments around the world are telling people to prepare for at least 72 hours of disruption. And the Pentagon recently unveiled a plan to operate bases for 90 days in the event of widespread blackouts. So, how worried should we be about threats to the power grid? This week, Jonathon Monken, a senior partner at Converge Strategies, joins the show to assess the state of grid security. Jonathon is a 24-year Army veteran, the former senior director of system resilience at PJM, and a former director of the Illinois emergency management agency. He says the risk is real and significantly elevated. We’ll talk with him about where the grid is most exposed, why data centers are becoming an attractive target, and why the military’s 90-day blackout plan is very difficult to execute. We’ll wrap up the show with a look at the energy storylines driving the midterm elections. Did “energy dominance” stop working as a political message? And can Democrats actually live up to their promises to drop energy prices? Open Circuit is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub works with more than 230 utilities to coordinate over 2.6 million DERs and more than 3.6 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at EnergyHub.com. Open Circuit is brought to you by Giving Green. Giving Green researches the climate nonprofits best positioned for the next big climate win, and sends 100% of every dollar donated to the Giving Green Fund to them. Make your first gift before 2027, and it’s matched up to $500. Go to GivingGreen.earth/Circuit or select Open Circuit at checkout. Open Circuit is brought to you by Everyday Electric. Everyday Electric simplifies savings at home, helping support a more reliable, affordable grid. Operating the country’s largest residential VPP, it coordinates 6+ GW of capacity across connected products. Learn more at everydayelectric.com.

0:00-50:39
Play in

transcript

No transcript — this publisher did not publish one.

show notes

The prepping vibes online are very high right now. Spend any time on X, and you’ll get inundated with warnings about AI hacking, possible grid collapse, and stockpile checklists.

There’s a reason people are anxious. Security experts are sounding the alarm about AI agent swarms that are targeting infrastructure. Governments around the world are telling people to prepare for at least 72 hours of disruption. And the Pentagon recently unveiled a plan to operate bases for 90 days in the event of widespread blackouts. 

So, how worried should we be about threats to the power grid?

This week, Jonathon Monken, a senior partner at Converge Strategies, joins the show to assess the state of grid security. Jonathon is a 24-year Army veteran, the former senior director of system resilience at PJM, and a former director of the Illinois emergency management agency. He says the risk is real and significantly elevated.

We’ll talk with him about where the grid is most exposed, why data centers are becoming an attractive target, and why the military’s 90-day blackout plan is very difficult to execute.

We’ll wrap up the show with a look at the energy storylines driving the midterm elections. Did “energy dominance” stop working as a political message? And can Democrats actually live up to their promises to drop energy prices?

Open Circuit is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub works with more than 230 utilities to coordinate over 2.6 million DERs and more than 3.6 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at EnergyHub.com. 

Open Circuit is brought to you by Giving Green. Giving Green researches the climate nonprofits best positioned for the next big climate win, and sends 100% of every dollar donated to the Giving Green Fund to them. Make your first gift before 2027, and it’s matched up to $500. Go to GivingGreen.earth/Circuit or select Open Circuit at checkout.

Open Circuit is brought to you by Everyday Electric. Everyday Electric simplifies savings at home, helping support a more reliable, affordable grid. Operating the country’s largest residential VPP, it coordinates 6+ GW of capacity across connected products. Learn more at everydayelectric.com.

links5

more episodes

All episodes