Climate Change Is Still Worse
My city is a municipal utility, which means the city owns the electric utility that provides the electricity to the community. An insert in our recent electric bill caught my attention. Apparently, there is a possibility of controlled energy outages which means under energy emergency conditions we would have to take assigned turns using electricity until demand goes down.
The city's explanation of contributing factors to the need for controlled outages was a deep sigh moment.
For someone who isn't familiar with our national electricity grid (no shame, it's generously described as arcane) this reads as if renewable energy and closure of coal-fueled energy generation were the definitive reasons for the controlled power outages.
This is an oversimplification.
The more technically precise reason for the controlled power outages is the lack of energy storage capacity on the grid. In other words, we have to store electricity made by renewables when they are producing for times when they aren't and that storage technology is not widely available yet, though the US Department of Energy is working hard on this. (See short, upbeat video.)When energy was produced by fossil fuels, we simply ramped up production when we needed more.
We absolutely need to bring renewables online and take coal offline even if it means a few hours of discomfort because climate change is, yes, that bad. Nothing in the city insert about that.
Changing our grid is as much a change in a paradigm as it is a change in technology which I think accounts for the clunky wording and un/intentional shade thrown at renewables and decommissioning coal plants.
Look, I'm not thrilled about controlled power outages (which haven't happened yet) but I'm even less thrilled about climate change which is happening right now. Sweet mother of pearl, it's not like we are all a bunch of gossamer candy-pants. How many generations ago was it that we didn't have heat or indoor running water? For me, it was two (my grandparents as children). We can conserve energy to take the literal and figurative load off the grid and if needed go a few hours without heat or A/C.
For the vast, vast majority of us a few hours without power is discomfort. And for those for whom it is more? Buy a back up generator. Which, really, you should have anyway because if electricity is a matter of life and death you are one storm away from a really bad day.
Since this is my summer of climate action, I will take this matter a step further by writing the Mayor and Utilities Director.
Update: This is the email I sent to the Mayor, copying the utilities director, the city administrator, the city communications officer, and the Utilities Commissioner
Dear Mayor Harding
Thank you for the electric service update given during the July 5 City Commission Meeting (starts at 16:30) and for the insert in the utility bill. I have signed up for the alert services and will help disseminate the energy alerts through social media and other communications.
As a municipal utility, the city is uniquely positioned to inform and educate the community not just about the changing national grid but the reasons for these changes. The explanation that controlled power outages are due to the unavailability of renewable energy and decommissioning of coal-fueled energy plants is an oversimplification of the actual problem, namely the lack of storage capacity on the grid. Right now, the US Department of Energy, the public labs, and the private sector are exploring innovative solutions for this issue.
The changes in our grid are due to climate change which is acknowledged as a danger by NASA, the US Military, many private corporations including the insurance industry, and even in the recent Supreme Court case West Virginia v EPA (see section 2 paragraph 14 of the majority opinion). The impacts from climate change threaten our economy, risk our national security, and imperil our health and well being. Switching to renewable energy and decommissioning coal-fueled generation may cause discomfort until our grid matures, but better short term discomfort than long term devastation.
I call upon the city to acknowledge the impact of climate change and communicate its relevance in regards to city matters. Unfortunately, there will be more opportunities in the future to do so.
Regards,
Anne Lewis
