Energy independence is dependent on every actor in the system doing their part for every minute of every day.
The concept of energy independence is complicated. In the U.S., we’ve generally talked about it in reference to oil and gasoline, but in fact, there are many more forms of energy that matter to our security, safety, and general well-being. In addition to oil and gasoline, for example, we need things like natural gas supplies and electricity derived from a variety of sources.
It’s easy to observe the negative effects that energy dependence has had on much of Europe over the past year. The higher prices, uncertain availability, political threats, and sabotaged infrastructure we’ve seen there all seem like problems we would like to avoid. But independence also has a price. Yes, it requires investment in things like infrastructure, mining, drilling, and fracking — but it’s not only monetary; all of those things also come with environmental impacts that no one wants in their own backyard but must be considered in any calculation of their overall cost.
Our electric system is immensely complicated as well. It consists of thousands of power plants owned by countless companies and organizations — public utilities, municipal utilities, independent power producers, private equity funds, federal agencies, and even not-for-profit electric cooperatives. And each of those plants requires its own specific fuel, ranging from coal, nuclear fuel, or natural gas to sunshine, wind, or water, to generate power, feed it into the transmission grid, and ultimately deliver it to local distribution systems like your electric cooperative, which then deliver that electricity to your home or business.
There is some oversight by system operators, which set operating parameters and monitor system conditions, but there is little a system operator can do once supply shortages occur. So having excess reserves helps take stress out of the system. Unfortunately, we’ve seen the reserves in our electric supply system dwindle in recent years, threatening the reliability and resiliency of our system, especially under extreme conditions.
Independence is never free, and that’s true of energy independence as well. It requires ongoing investments and long-term commitments to dependable infrastructure. While electric cooperatives are committed to doing our part to build and maintain reliable and dependable systems, energy independence is dependent on each actor in the system doing their part for every minute of every day. Our independence still depends on others.
Thanks for your support of your electric cooperative. We wish you and yours a safe and happy Independence Day.
