Season 2: Episode 25 | Macrogrid Matters Feat. Rachel Levine, Niskanen Center
From The Conservative Energy Podcast by Conservative Energy Network
August 20, 2025 · 32 min
About this episode
Rachel Levine discusses the promise and challenges of building a national macrogrid and its implications for energy security and rural economies.
We invite Rachel Levine, Senior Transmission Policy Analyst at the Niskanen Center, to unpack the promise and challenges of building a national macrogrid. She explains what a macrogrid is and how it differs from today’s regional systems, dives into the technical differences between AC and DC transmission, and explores how expanded transmission could boost rural economies, strengthen grid reliability during extreme weather, and advance U.S. energy security. Links & Resources: Learn more about the Conservative Energy Network: https://www.conservativeenergynetwork.org Follow CEN on X: @ConsEnergNet Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/let-good-times-roll License code: HIEVDBCSLGD5PJBE Full Paper: Unlocking HVDC: How Congress can enable a more resilient grid https://www.niskanencenter.org/how-congress-can-enable-a-more-resilient-grid/ Learn more about the Niskanen Center: https://www.niskanencenter.org/
People in this episode
Guest: Rachel Levine
Topics covered
- macrogrid
- energy policy
- transmission systems
- rural economies
- grid reliability
- energy security
Keywords
- macrogrid
- AC transmission
- DC transmission
- grid reliability
- energy security
- Niskanen Center
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Niskanen Center, Conservative Energy Network
More episodes of The Conservative Energy Podcast
- Season 2: Episode 32 | Pebble Mine CEO John Shively · March 13, 2026 · 28 min
- Season 2: Episode 31 | Tales from the Field: Michigan · November 12, 2025 · 25 min
- Season 2: Episode 30 | Tales from the Field: Indiana · October 29, 2025 · 20 min
- Season 2: Episode 29 | Voters & the Grid Feat. Chris Lane, Senior Partner at Cygnal · October 15, 2025 · 23 min
- Season 2: Episode 28 | Data Centers Feat. Salome Garcia, Director of Policy & Programming at CEN · October 2, 2025 · 30 min
- Season 2: Episode 27 | Grassroots to Grid Feat. Logan O'Neill, Midwest Regional Director, CICE · September 17, 2025 · 17 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Conservative Energy Podcast podcast page.