Could Gary's power crisis spark a national reckoning on climate resilience and energy justice?
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Show notes
Following a catastrophic derecho that left thousands of residents in Gary, Indiana, without power for days and, in some cases, weeks, questions are mounting about utility accountability, climate resilience, and infrastructure equity. Journalist Jan Barnes examines how years of rising utility rates, aging electrical systems, and extreme weather combined to create a crisis in one of America's most historically Black industrial cities. As state regulators investigate the utility's response and residents pursue legal action, the Gary blackout has become a powerful case study in climate justice, grid reliability, and the growing energy burden facing communities of color across the United States. The story raises urgent national questions: Who gets restored first when disaster strikes, and is America's electric grid prepared for an era of increasingly severe weather?
