Host Jason Michael Perry sits down with Jason Stanek, Executive Director of Governmental Services at PJM Interconnection, to unpack why Maryland electricity bills keep climbing — and how the structure of the grid itself is at the center of the problem.

Maryland is a net importer — the state produces about 60 percent of the electricity it uses and buys the rest from the regional market. Stanek explains what that actually means: who generates power, who moves it, and who delivers it to your door. He walks through how PJM — the organization that coordinates electricity across 13 states and 65 million people — fits into the system, and why Maryland’s dependence on regional supply has become so expensive as data center demand drives capacity costs sharply higher.

The conversation covers the double squeeze on Maryland ratepayers: BGE’s multi-year infrastructure investment plan pushing distribution costs up at the same time that regional generation costs are rising. Stanek also explains the stalled renewable buildout, the fight over the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project transmission line, and what a new deal between Entergy Louisiana and Meta suggests about how states can push data centers to pay their fair share. Plus: what regular Marylanders can actually do about their bills, including BGE’s time-of-use rate program that rewards off-peak energy use.

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• PJM Interconnection — Who We Are
• EIA State Energy Profiles — Maryland
• WYPR — What Would Happen If Maryland Left the Nation’s Largest Power Grid?
• CNS Maryland — As Data Centers Multiply, Maryland’s Power Grid Struggles to Keep Up
• BGE Residential EV Programs & Time-of-Use Rate
• TechCrunch — $1B DOE Loan to Restart Three Mile Island

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Thanks to the team at WYPR, our producer Shanya Mapson, and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.

Host Jason Michael Perry sits down with Janey Park, founder of The Digital Runway and global marketing strategist, to explore how AI is reshaping the fashion industry — from the design studio to your shopping cart.

In this episode, they dig into fashion's long history of failed tech experiments (remember Google's touch-sensitive Levi's jacket?), the Vogue controversy over AI-generated models, virtual try-on tools that create a digital version of you from a selfie, and whether AI can actually have good taste. Janey brings more than 20 years of experience at brands like LVMH, Elizabeth Arden, and Nordstrom, and breaks down what's hype, what's real, and what every consumer should be paying attention to.

Invested in AI but not seeing results? You're not alone. PerryLabs helps organizations find what's working and build what's next. Start with our AI Assessment at PerryLabs.io

The growth path shouldn't stop at the border. WTCI provides the connections, knowledge, and global network Maryland's most ambitious leaders need to scale. Start your global journey at wtci.org

Podcast Notes & Links

• The Digital Runway Newsletter — Janey Park
• AI Models in Vogue: Your Favorite Model May Not Be Real — CNN
• AI Has Officially Entered the Fashion Week Conversation — Vogue
• Fashion AI Expo Debuts During Paris Fashion Week 2026 — Fashion Week Online
• CFDA and OpenAI Launch Innovation Hub — WWD
• AI's Big Shopping Breakthrough — Business of Fashion
• Google's AI Try-On Feature Now Works With Just a Selfie — TechCrunch
• AI Is Shaking Up Fashion's Workforce — Business of Fashion / McKinsey State of Fashion 2026
• Meta Sued Over Smart Glasses Privacy Concerns — TechCrunch
• Think Twice Before Buying or Using Meta's Ray-Bans — EFF
• Google + Levi's Project Jacquard — Levi Strauss & Co.

Subscribe & Contact

Subscribe to the Thoughts on Tech & Things newsletter: jasonmperry.com/newsletter
Send feedback, questions, or guest suggestions: jasonmperry.com/contact

Credits

Thanks to the team at WYPR, our producers Sam Bermas-Dawes and Shania Mapson, and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.

Host Jason Michael Perry sits down with Marcus Penny, VP of Technology and Digital Services at Bruce Bolt and founder of boutique AI consulting firm Techabo, to dig into one of the most talked-about — and least understood — tools in tech right now: OpenClaw.

In this episode, they unpack what OpenClaw actually is, why it feels so different from anything we’ve seen before, and what it really means when an AI can wake up on its own schedule, manage a team of other AIs, and take actions on your behalf — whether you’re watching or not. Marcus brings a practitioner’s eye: real workflows, real failures, and a clear-eyed take on where the hype ends and the genuine opportunity begins.

Podcast Notes & Links

• OpenClaw
• OpenClaw Security Fears Lead Meta, Other AI Firms to Restrict Its Use – Ars Technica
• After All the Hype, Some AI Experts Don’t Think OpenClaw Is All That Exciting – TechCrunch
• Apple Mac Mini Is Having a Moment Thanks to the OpenClaw Craze – Business Insider
• Personal Computer – Perplexity
• OpenAI Hires OpenClaw Creator Peter Steinberger – Fortune
• What Is Moltbook, the Viral Social Media Platform for AI Agents? – Mashable

Subscribe & Contact

Subscribe to the Thoughts on Tech & Things newsletter: jasonmperry.com/newsletter
Send feedback, questions, or guest suggestions: jasonmperry.com/contact

Credits

Thanks to the team at WYPR, our producers Sam Bermas-Dawes and Shania Mapson, and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.