Are you kinda curious about the electric grid? If so, this introductory event is for you. In two hours, you’ll get all your questions answered about where our electricity comes from, what we learned from the Texas power grid outage, and how things are changing to deal with affordability, pollution and climate change. Join our virtual Q&A with Harvey Michaels from the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, where we’ll answer questions like:

• Why does the U.S. have three electric grids? Should it stay that way?
• How do we keep the lights on and the heat running without creating pollution?
• Should I worry about energy prices skyrocketing?
• What are the equity issues surrounding energy in the U.S.?

…and many more.

Before attending the event, listen to MIT’s ten minute podcast episode with our guest explaining the basics about how the grid works — and save your questions for the live Q&A with Harvey Michaels!

TILclimate, the podcast’s episode: TIL about the electric grid

(Also on Apply Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts)

Send us your questions before and during the event:

Text or leave a voicemail at (617) 398-0051 so we can play your question during the event! Or email hello@civicseries.org

Our guest expert:

Harvey Michaels, an MIT alumnus now at the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative and lecturing at the MIT Sloan School of Management, researches energy management and efficiency and smart-grid-related opportunities to mitigate climate change. He is a member of Future of the Grid at the MIT Energy Initiative, Efficiency Forward at the Sloan Sustainability Initiative, and Project Faculty for Energy Democracy at the MIT Media Lab. Prior to joining MIT, Harvey Michaels worked at energy efficiency companies Xenergy and Aclara Software.

Photo of wind turbines north of the San Joaquin River taken from Antioch, CA, by Chris Briggs on Unsplash.