Kate Konschnik, Director of the Climate & Energy Program at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University and is a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke Law School, dives into the fundamentals of how electricity is generated in the U.S. She explains how our aging electrical infrastructure increases the chances of catastrophic failures and offers considerations for emergency managers to prepare their communities for extended power outages.
Konschnik’s research focuses on policy options for public electric utility regulation and electricity market reforms to accommodate new technologies, electrification of other sectors, and air quality and decarbonization goals.
Discussion Materials
- Discussion Guide – Left in the Dark: Power Outages in an Interconnected World
- Biography – Kate Konschnik’s (.pdf)
PrepTalks are given by subject-matter experts and thoughts leaders to spread new ideas, spark conversation, and promote innovative leadership for the issues confronting emergency managers now and over the next 20 years. For more information and more talks, see https://www.fema.gov/preptalks
