The Electrical Grid

FromThroughline

Start listening View podcast show

The Electrical Grid

FromThroughline

ratings:

Length:

43 minutes

Released:

Dec 5, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Today, electricity in the U.S. is a utility we notice only when it's suddenly unavailable. But over a hundred years ago, electricity in the homes of every American was a wild idea and the subject of a bitter fight over who would power, and profit from, the national grid. This week, the battle that electrified our world and the extreme measures that were taken to get there.

Released:

Dec 5, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

The past is never past. Every headline has a history. Join us every week as we go back in time to understand the present. These are stories you can feel and sounds you can see from the moments that shaped our world.

Skip carousel

High Crimes And Misdemeanors: This week we return to 1868 and the first presidential impeachment in U.S. history — President Andrew Johnson. by Throughline
16 min listen
Four Days in August: This week we look back at four days in August 1953, when the CIA orchestrated a coup of Iran's elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. by Throughline
36 min listen
Opioids In America: Three stories of opioids that have plagued Americans for more than 150 years. by Throughline
42 min listen
The Moth: In this episode, we dive into the life of Vladimir Putin and try to understand how he became Russia's new "tsar." by Throughline
33 min listen
American Exile: In this episode, two stories that challenge the idea of who and why Americans sought refuge in other countries. by Throughline
54 min listen
Rules Of Engagement: For the last 40 years, the U.S. and Iran have been in almost continual conflict. We look at three different moments in this conflict to better understand where it might go next. by Throughline
48 min listen
Scorched Earth: Colonial powers used concentration camps at the turn of the 19th century to crush rebellions. How a war between Britain and Boers gave rise to some of the first camps. by Throughline
30 min listen
War Of The Worlds: Two sects of Islam, 1400 years of history, and three stories to help us better understand the Sunni-Shia divide. by Throughline
34 min listen
Milliken v. Bradley: How a plan to end segregation by busing in Detroit went to the Supreme Court and had lasting implications for the rest of the country. by Throughline
35 min listen
On the Shoulders of Giants: We explore three stories of protest in sports that are often overlooked but essential to understanding the current debate: Jack Johnson, Wilma Rudolph, and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. by Throughline
38 min listen
Introducing Throughline: NPR's new history podcast hosted by Ramtin Arablouei and Rund Abdelfatah. New episodes every Thursday starting February 7th. by Throughline
2 min listen
El Libertador: We look back at the rise and fall of Venezuela through the lives of two revolutionaries turned authoritarian leaders: Simón Bolívar and Hugo Chávez. by Throughline
55 min listen
The Forgotten War: What's fueled the hostility between the U.S. and North Korea? We look back at the tangled history. by Throughline
34 min listen
The Phoebus Cartel: This week, in a special collaboration with Planet Money, we bring you the history of planned obsolescence – the idea that products are designed to break. by Throughline
33 min listen
Four Days In August: This week, we revisit our very first episode about an event from August 1953 — when the CIA helped to overthrow Iran's Prime Minister. by Throughline
36 min listen
Resistance Is Futile: From the tractor to talking robots, society has feared innovations. But usefulness usually overcomes resistance. Is today any different from the past? by Throughline
35 min listen
Nancy Pelosi: Nancy Pelosi is widely seen as the most powerful woman in U.S. politics. Follow her rise from a Baltimore political family to becoming Speaker of the House twice. by Throughline
23 min listen
High Crimes and Misdemeanors: This week we return to 1868 and the first presidential impeachment in U.S. history — President Andrew Johnson. by Throughline
17 min listen
The X On The Map: How the murder of an unarmed black civil rights activist in 1965 lead to the march to Montgomery that ended in "Bloody Sunday." by Throughline
39 min listen
The Border: In this week's episode, the history of militarization at the U.S.-Mexico border. by Throughline
14 min listen
American Shadows: In this episode, we'll explore how conspiracy theories helped to create the U.S. and how they became the currency of political opportunists. by Throughline
41 min listen
White Nationalism: How has white nationalism shaped U.S. immigration policy in the 20th century? This week, we share an episode we loved from It's Been A Minute with Sam Sanders. by Throughline
33 min listen
Before Stonewall: The protests at The Stonewall Inn 50 years ago fueled the gay rights movement. But gay activists were fighting harassment and discrimination years before. by Throughline
38 min listen
Mitch McConnell: Mitch McConnell is one of the least popular politicians in the country, so how did he win eight consecutive elections? This week, we share an Embedded ep. that traces his history. by Throughline
32 min listen
Outbreak: A deadly smallpox epidemic in the early 1900s and a Boston-area minister who refused mandatory vaccination — how his case ended up in front of the Supreme Court. by Throughline
21 min listen
Huey Long Vs. The Media: Who was Huey Long? He was a politician that combined progressive economic ideas with an autocratic streak, leading FDR to call him one of the most dangerous men in America. by Throughline
30 min listen
Strange Fruit: How singing "Strange Fruit" turned Billie Holiday into one of the first victims of the War on Drugs. by Throughline
30 min listen
Three Chords And The Truth: We sat down with renowned filmmaker Ken Burns to talk about his new documentary series Country music and his process as a storyteller. by Throughline
32 min listen
Puerto Rico: In this episode, we look at Puerto Rico's relationship with the mainland U.S. and the key figures who shaped the island's fate. by Throughline
65 min listen
American Anthem: This week, we share three stories from NPR Music's American Anthem series that highlight the origins of songs that have become ingrained in American culture. by Throughline
26 min listen

More Episodes from Throughline

Skip carousel

The Labor Of Love (Throwback) by Throughline
52 min listen
The 4th Amendment: Search and Seizure by Throughline
49 min listen
The Ghost in Your Phone (Throwback) by Throughline
52 min listen
Ralph Nader, Consumer Crusader by Throughline
47 min listen
The 14th Amendment by Throughline
50 min listen
The Land of the Fee (Throwback) by Throughline
45 min listen
A History of Hezbollah by Throughline
50 min listen
The Great Textbook War by Throughline
48 min listen
Radiolab: Worst. Year. Ever by Throughline
39 min listen
A Symphony of Resistance (Throwback) by Throughline
56 min listen
The Rise of the Right Wing in Israel by Throughline
53 min listen
The Right to An Attorney by Throughline
51 min listen
Dance Yourself Free (Throwback) by Throughline
50 min listen
Love, Throughline by Throughline
53 min listen
The Scent of History by Throughline
51 min listen
James Baldwin's Shadow (Throwback) by Throughline
44 min listen
Bonus: The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop by Throughline
50 min listen
The Man Who Cured Aging by Throughline
50 min listen
The Right to Bear Arms by Throughline
52 min listen
When Things Fall Apart (Throwback) by Throughline
50 min listen
The Nostalgia Bone (2021) by Throughline
57 min listen
Editing Reality (2023) by Throughline
52 min listen
Apology: The Way Back (2023) by Throughline
52 min listen
Dare to Dissent by Throughline
50 min listen
The Lord Of Misrule by Throughline
49 min listen
A.D.A. Now! (2020) by Throughline
58 min listen
How U.S. Unions Took Flight by Throughline
47 min listen
A History of Hamas by Throughline
52 min listen
Grenada: Nobody's Backyard (2021) by Throughline
58 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

The Electrical Grid (2020) by Throughline
43 min listen
Unexpected Power Surges Are Putting US Homes At Risk by Big Take
12 min listen
#262: Home On The Range by Autonocast
50 min listen
CM 057: Gretchen Bakke On Innovations In Energy: We produce more wind and solar power than ever before, yet coal, oil, and gas constitute over 90 percent of our energy sources. Why? Blame it on the grid. While our electrical grid was once an engineering marvel, by Curious Minds at Work
38 min listen
Lessons From The Texas Power Crisis by The Energy Gang
53 min listen
This Is The Case For Investing In Nuclear Power by Odd Lots
47 min listen
41 Re: Volts with David Roberts: <p>A look at some of the stories behind the massive sums of an energy revolution. </p><p>My guest is David Volts, energy journalist and writer of the Volts newsletter and host of the volts podcast. After Catherine Sheridan's H2 Oh! last week, this is... by The Function Room
72 min listen
What’s the Future of Nuclear Power?: Once touted as a modern power source, nuclear fell out of favor after a series of major accidents. By the end of the century, the industry was languishing. But the urgency of climate change causes some to advocate giving nuclear a new lease on life. by Climate One
55 min listen
#258 | The War Of The Currents: In the late 19th century there was fierce competition to provide electricity to the rapidly industrialising USA. The winner would be rewarded with huge wealth and fame. But who would claim the prize, and how dirty would the fight get? Full transcrip by English Learning for Curious Minds
29 min listen
Keeping the Lights On: How can Britain ensure a consistent supply of electricity when its sources are changing? by The World of Business
28 min listen
Nikola Tesla: Nikola Tesla was a power-player in the current war, where General Electric and Westinghouse fought over how America would get electricity. by Historical Figures
48 min listen
Will Africa really leapfrog to renewables?: Thousands of power plants are planned in Africa. Will fossil fuels or renewables prevail? by The Climate Question
23 min listen
This Morbid Invention: The First Electric Chair: The harnessing of electricity by the great inventors of the Gilded Age introduced the world to the miracle of light at all hours of the day. But exposure to electricity's raw power was dangerous to man and a few thought this useful... by The First: Stories of Inventions and their Consequences
28 min listen
The Energy Gang: The Grid Resiliency Edition by The Energy Gang
33 min listen
Demand Response and California’s Blackouts by The Interchange: Recharged
39 min listen
Changing Woman: One Navajo’s Fight for a Just Transition: A story about a woman, a nation, and an energy system in a moment of immense change. by A Matter of Degrees
45 min listen
Electrification, Part 1 (Guest: Julie McNamara from the Union of Concerned Scientists) by We Are All Fucked
67 min listen
Texas Winter Storm – Lessons for Power, Gas, Oil by Switched On
26 min listen
What Happens When the Lights Go Out? by Crash Course
44 min listen
Siskiyou County Residents Sue Utility Over McKinney Fire by KQED's The California Report
17 min listen
How did Nikola Tesla change the way we use energy?: Many people associate Edison with the invention of electricity, but Nikola Tesla heavily shaped the electrical system we still use today. Get the dirt on the electricity wars between Edison and Tesla in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by Stuff You Should Know
26 min listen
What's going on with hydropower? by Volts
67 min listen
Hurricane Redux: Toxic Sludge, Climate Denial and Battery Storage by The Energy Gang
45 min listen
Who Has Power and Who Doesn’t: Changes at PG&E: Power is important. Both the kind that lets us switch on the lights and the kind that gives people the ability to make decisions for us. Tens of thousands of Northern California residents lost power over the weekend after PG&E cut electricity for safet... by The Bay
10 min listen
Nuclear energy’s role in decarbonizing the economy by Make Me Smart
25 min listen
Lawfare Archive: Alex Klass on the Texas Energy Crisis by The Lawfare Podcast
39 min listen
March 14, 2011 Alan Watt "Cutting Through The Matrix" LIVE on RBN: "And Another Winner for Global Order, Nuclear Radiation Traverses Any Border" *Title/Poem and Dialogue Copyrighted Alan Watt - March 14, 2011 (Exempting Music, Literary Quotes, and Callers' Comments) by Cutting Through the Matrix with Alan Watt Podcast (.xml Format)
47 min listen
A Nuclear Comeback: Are New Reactors the Answer?: Nuclear energy accounts for 20% of the electricity in the United States, but remarkably, 2023 marked the commissioning of the U.S.'s first new nuclear reactor in over three decades. The past few years have been a story of changing public opinion, but equally, innovative startups crafting groundbreaking reactor designs and an ambitious announcement by the U.S. government to triple nuclear power production by 2050. In this episode recorded at a16z’s American Dynamism Summit in Washington DC, a16z podcast host Steph Smith is joined by a16z General Partner David Ulevich, Doug Bernauer – CEO of microreactor company Radiant – and Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Nuclear Energy. From energizing the country's data centers to propelling the electric vehicles on our roads or powering the factories crafting tomorrow's innovations, they discuss why expanding our nuclear capacity is a national imperative. Stay tuned for mor by a16z Podcast
48 min listen
The Blackout in Texas: An intense winter storm has plunged Texas into darkness. The state’s electricity grid has failed in the face of the worst cold weather there in decades. The Texas blackouts could be a glimpse into America’s future as a result of climate change. Today, we explore the reasons behind the power failures. by The Daily
27 min listen
The Grid, Sharswood by 60 Minutes
42 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

The Electrical Grid

The Electrical Grid

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Throughline

Related podcast episodes