America's Energy Problem: The Grid That Built America Can’t Power Its Future
About this episode
From the show’s notesU.S. per capita energy usage peaked in 1973. Since then? Flat. Meanwhile, China’s per capita energy use has grown 9x.
Today, AI, EVs, manufacturing, and data centers are driving demand for more electricity than ever—and our grid can’t keep up.
Read the show’s notes in full
In this episode, a16z general partners David Ulevitch and Erin Price-Wright, along with investing partner Ryan McEntush from the American Dynamism team, join us to unpack:
– How America’s grid fell behind
– Why we "forgot how to build" power infrastructure
– The role of batteries, solar, nuclear, and software in reshaping the grid
– How AI is both stressing and helping the system
– What it’ll take to build a more resilient, decentralized, and dynamic energy future
Whether you’re a founder, policymaker, or just someone who wants their lights to stay on, this conversation covers what’s broken—and how to fix it.
Resources:
Find David on X: x.com/davidu
Find Erin on X: x.com/espricewright
Find Ryan on X: x.com/rmcentush
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