Outro Track of the Day
All will become clear. But we hope Guy Ritchie, the IRA, and our guest approve:
The electricity grid is more fragile and more vulnerable than it needs to be for what we’re asking the basically 120-yr-old tech to do in 2025. Last week’s outage after an explosion at the substation nearest Heathrow, London’s busiest airport, was a reminder of that.
Before founding grid tech rising star ENODA, Paul Domjan advised the US defence dept, NATO and plenty of others on energy security. Paul sheds light on how the incident highlights the grid's vulnerabilities and the necessity for a more resilient and flexible electricity system. The amazing thing, Paul says, is that we’ve been this lucky for this long.
A group very respectful of luck was the IRA, which after nearly killing Margaret Thatcher in Brighton in 1984 quipped: “we only need to be lucky once, you must be lucky always.” And last week’s incident, while foul play isn’t in evidence, reminded Paul of a 1996 IRA plot to disrupt London’s power supply, stopped at the last moment by MI5 in Operation AIRLINES. He cautions against complacency given the evolving threats to energy infrastructure from geopolitical tensions.
The conversation underscores the need for systemic changes in utilities’ approach, investments in renewable energy, and the adoption of innovative solutions to ensure grid reliability and stability.
01:15 Historical Context: IRA Plot
03:54 Energy Infrastructure Vulnerabilities
06:32 Interview with Paul Damian: Background and Insights
07:28 Paul's Career and NATO Involvement
10:23 The Fragility of the Power Grid
12:13 Technological Solutions for Grid Stability
26:39 Policy Recommendations for Energy Security
32:28 Conclusion and Future Conversations
Keep in Touch
Keep tabs on what Paul Domjan is up to with ENODA at his LinkedIn or the company’s website.
Outro Tracks
We think music is so important we played a tiny role in helping Suncharmer, who provide our intro theme, get their latest album recorded.
We also see the outro music as important to what we’re trying to get across as anything else. Call it a musical Straussian textual analysis. Or just enjoy the bloody tunes you berk.
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