It's Time to Cancel the Grid
Kirsten Jacobsen • February 18, 2021
Sorry, grid, you've let us down one too many times.
It's Time to Cancel the Grid
The fierce winter blast that brought snow and record cold tempertures to much of the US in the past week has also exposed the grid for what it is: outdated, vulnerable, inflexible, and unreliable. The state that produces the most fossil fuels has the largest number of people suffering without heat, light, or running water. People are sleeping in their cars, risking carbon monoxide poisoning by blasting their gas ovens, crowding in with family members during the pandemic, and burning their childrens' toys to stay warm. This situation, here in the 21st century, in the wealthiest nation on the planet is unacceptable.
"The unfolding power emergency is a reminder modern civilization depends on easily disrupted systems."
Is this the best we can do? In this high tech world, should we be relying on analog, centralized systems to meet our most basic needs? We don't rely on landlines for communication and information any more.
We've known for many years how storms, fires, computer glitches, surging seasonal energy demand and other factors can interrupt the delivery of energy through the grid. Perhaps some of this week's suffering could have been avoided if power operators had been better prepared (a cold snap in 2011 was a warning), but for many reasons it's time to cancel the grid.
There's already talk of putting massive amounts of money into the existing grid to strenghten it. To make these emergencies less impactful. But calamities like this are going to keep on happening because we can't possibly prepare for every anomoly in every location that climate change is going to throw our way. It's a waste of resources to try to prop up this fundamentally failing system.
Homes that provide their own electricity, water, thermal comfort, and sewage treatment are being built right now. They do not rely on outdated infrastructure. They do not have utility bills. And, when the grid goes down, they still have lights, running fridges, working internet, heat, flushing toilets, hot water, and pipes that won't freeze. Each home in every community could do this, be independent. A failure of systems at one house would only affect one house. This is where we should direct renewable energy money and funding for green technologies. This is resilience. This is modernity.
Let's cancel the grid. If you want to learn how, our online courses will become available this Spring. LEARN MORE.
If you want to learn how, our online courses will become available this Spring. LEARN MORE.
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