The 6 biggest vulnerabilities in the power grid

Constant access to electricity is something most people take for granted. Air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and computers — just a few of the daily comforts that support work and relaxation — all depend on a functioning power grid, which may not be around as long as people assume.

A significant portion of the American electrical grid was built during the 1960s and 1970s, but there hasn’t been much improvement since. Replacing or upgrading infrastructure requires significant federal and state investment. The work also requires some downtime, so officials would have to overcome discontent from residents and business owners.

About 70% of American transmission lines are over 25 years old. That physical infrastructure can’t last forever. Weathering and continual maintenance take a toll on efficiency.

The grid’s job is also changing. Electric vehicles and artificial intelligence centers didn’t exist when the American electrical grid began. The resulting vulnerabilities aren’t surprising when you consider that the grid supports more manufacturing facilities, neighborhoods, and citizens than engineers could have predicted when they built the infrastructure.

The U.S. government invested $2.2 billion in grid upgrades to add nearly 13 gigawatts (GW) of energy capacity in 2024. The funding also increased electrical manufacturing and added additional transmission lines for improved power distribution. Those upgrades were notable, but more work is necessary.

Here are six of the biggest threats the U.S. power grid faces today.

NOAA | Unsplash

Climate change affects the national power grid in numerous ways. When an intense heat wave hit the nation in 2025, Americans used more than 750 GW of electricity to stay cool. While the infrastructure struggled to direct that much power, the power lines and transformers also had to withstand the extreme outdoor temperatures. If you add more frequent storms to the mix, you get downed power lines and blown transformers.

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Power lines and transformers weren't built to last forever. While officials try to secure the necessary funding for upgrades, the grid struggles to meet intensified electricity demands. Analog components are still foundational to the nation’s power system, and while experts can replace those parts with Internet of Things devices to improve energy demand regulation, the work is slow. Investments are critical — but they take time.

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Taking down part or all of the national power grid could significantly weaken the United States. Russian hackers are among the people who have tried to do that over the years, causing blackouts through phishing and malware attacks on unsuspecting power facility employees. If the grid’s technology upgrades lack robust cybersecurity measures, the additional weak points could make the country more vulnerable to blackouts.

Waldemar Brandt | Unsplash

People with bad intentions don’t need to code anything to hurt America’s electrical infrastructure. They sometimes physically attack power lines or facilities instead. Politico data shows that outages due to physical security incidents increased by 71% between 2021 and 2022. Whether the substations are in remote areas or city centers, people can cause national harm by disrupting their production.

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Power stations often lack security measures because they’re in rural locations and have small numbers of employees. In 2023, neo-Nazis plotted to attack substations in Baltimore to cut off the city’s electricity supply. Unprotected parts of the grid could be more vulnerable to physical damage if officials don’t address those security concerns.

Anthony Indraus | Unsplash

Initially, the nation’s power grid had a one-way flow that handled far less electricity use. The U.S. Energy Information Administration found that the country used 4.07 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2022, which is 14 times more than what the grid supplied in 1950. Two-way flow technology also changes the grid’s job as solar panels send energy back to power plants. The infrastructure requires hardware upgrades that can handle both changes.