We often talk about the different ways in which renewable energy can benefit almost every part of our lives, but one interesting intersection we haven’t talked about is how renewable energy plays into national security. Having a reliable energy supply has long been an essential part of ensuring our country’s security and, as our national grid becomes increasingly modernized, renewable energy will have a pretty great role to play as well.
Threats to our national security are either manmade or often those caused by extreme weather events. Human-caused threats include cyber attacks, terrorism, and other intentional threats caused by people. Weather threats, on the other hand, have been making more frontline news in the last few years. This category includes droughts, wildfires, earthquakes, and storm surges. As we continue to see more frequent extreme weather events as well as a greater reliance on technology, we need to ensure that we take steps to better protect our energy supply. Luckily, renewable energy is uniquely suited to withstand these security concerns and then some!
Renewable energy, unlike conventional energy generation sources, is decentralized and often usable by the communities in which the renewable projects are built. By not having a single, large facility as a vulnerable target, events impacting renewable energy projects are less likely to significantly disrupt our energy supply. On top of that, having home-grown, cheap energy generation reduces our reliance on foreign fuel supplies, which are prone to price fluctuations and ebb and flow depending on socio-political relations with foreign governments.
Renewable energy technologies are also better capable of being weatherized for extreme weather conditions. The Texas storms proved it was actually wind energy that was able to withstand the storms when other energy generators were shut down. And to top it off, Texas’ wind farms weren’t properly weatherized, yet they still stood up to harsh weather conditions! In these cases, having decentralized power production with an integrated grid system also means power can be redistributed more easily and efficiently to where it’s needed in emergency situations.
All together, having a decentralized and diversified power system that is run on free and replenishable sources – wind and sunshine – and transported on an upgraded electrical grid is the fastest and cheapest way to make sure we strengthen our national security. At ReNew Mexico, we are excited to see more home-grown, New Mexico renewable energy projects come online to provide clean power to our homes while also keeping our families all across the country safe!
Sources:
https://www.marketplace.org/2021/07/22/a-california-fix-for-rolling-blackouts-irks-neighbors/
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/09/transition-to-renewable-energy-will-strengthen-national-security-veteran-says/
https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/566200-why-the-renewable-fuel-standard-is-a-threat-to-our-nations-supply?rl=1
https://acore.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ACORE_Issue-Brief_-The-Role-of-Renewable-Energy-in-National-Security.pdf