Dear Editor,
The ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran are teaching us a surprising lesson about resiliency. Resiliency of the human spirit, sure, but also a different kind – that relating to the electrical grid.
Take Ukraine for example – it is estimated to have suffered 56$ billion in damages to the energy sector, with half of its energy infrastructure destroyed, according to Yale360. Yet in one of the most intense winters in the last decade, lights and heat are staying on, with credit primarily attributed to its burgeoning use of renewable energy. Ukraine installed 1.5 GW of renewable energy last year, enough to power 1.1 million homes.
Solar power is often spread out in larger areas or even generated on-site, making it decentralized – an unattractive target for aggressive country’s looking to cripple a nation’s grid. Once installed, electrons flow into solar panels from the sun – not via tanker ships that can be blockaded. There is not a national market for sunlight, so electricity pricing is not as subject to the whims of global economic powerbrokers.
The war in Iran is showing us this lesson in sharp focus – witness the fluctuating price of oil and gas due to the conflict, inflicting financial pain across our economy. Pursuing the renewable energy transition will benefit people and the environment, and ultimately hollow out the soft power wielded by petrostates and dictators. What are we waiting for?
Nathan Dombeck
Janesville, WI