"No country will be energy-secure or independent as long as its fuel supply remains finite and fossilized and its power plants and energy grids centralized and fossil fuel-dependent. Those are sitting ducks, targets very vulnerable to attack by adversaries. There is another way to bolster energy security and independence: decarbonized and decentralized energy. Using local, renewable resources to power, heat and cool a community, with battery storage for backup, provides immediate relief from being precariously power plant-dependent or grid-dependent."
"News this month of Russia's deadly attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Russian drones swarming Ukrainian power stations, and Kyiv running out of time to prepare for another winter of attacks on its energy grid illustrates this urgency. With no end in sight for Russian aggression, more Ukrainian power plants and energy grids will be bombed, leaving more without power, heat and water."
"In direct response to Russia's war, municipalities all across Ukraine are making the switch fast. With the Iran war accelerating the transition to renewable energy, the gains from energy transition are obvious: countries like Spain are rapidly transitioning to renewables better insulating themselves from gas price shocks and better protecting themselves from future grid-wide blackouts."
"Whether it's wars over oil and gas resource access or attacks on fossil fuel power plants and energy grids, this reliance on finite resources only worsens a country's threat profile. Donald Trump's unjustified war on Iran and the resulting global fuel crisis is a continuing reminder that true energy security and independence will continue to elude us so long as we remain dependent on fossil fuels."
Unjustified wars and attacks on energy infrastructure create fuel crises and worsen threat profiles for countries dependent on finite fossil fuels. Centralized power plants and fossil-fuel-dependent grids become vulnerable targets during conflicts, leaving populations without electricity, heat, and water. Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and the resulting strain on winter readiness illustrate the urgency of reducing reliance on fossilized fuel supplies. Decarbonized and decentralized energy using local renewable resources for power, heating, and cooling, supported by battery storage, can provide resilience against grid disruption. Ukrainian municipalities are accelerating this transition in response to attacks. Broader renewable adoption can reduce exposure to gas price shocks and help prevent future grid-wide blackouts.
#energy-security #decentralized-renewables #ukraine-energy-infrastructure #fossil-fuel-dependence #grid-resilience
Read at www.theguardian.com
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