2021-02-08 12:25:00
U.S. RENEWABLE VULNERABILITY
By Doug Houseman Visionary and innovator in the utility industry and grid modernization
Burns & McDonnell
ENERGYCENTRAL - Feb 4, 2021 - Cutting GHG is a critical step for the US and the world. Like it or not we have to treat our only home with respect.
Not requiring that renewable energy equipment all be built in the US is a big no-no. When we shut down the natural gas network and the use of fossil fuels our only source of energy will be electricity, and if 80% or more comes from wind and solar, we are more vulnerable than we were in the 1970s when the oil embargo happened. Manufacturing onshore is security, middle class jobs with great pay and transparency on the waste streams on production, including GHG. I honestly can’t see a downside.
Requiring all new vehicles be zero emission (mostly electric) by 2035 is great. However, we need a plan for upgrading building wiring, the meters, secondary wiring, distribution transformers and the rest of the distribution grid to support having electric vehicles. There is lots of discussion about high voltage, but distribution has no champion it the current administration.
While we may make enough, we may not be able to deliver that much electricity. The hardest hit will be low-income families living in rental housing.
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