Time to choose renewables?

With war in the Middle East, gasoline prices are climbing. In 1973, there was a similar gasoline crisis caused by tensions in the Middle East. Back then, we were advised to drive less and turn down our thermostats, but the idea that we could power our lives with anything other than fossil fuels was fanciful.

However, we now have the technology to drive our vehicles and power our homes almost entirely from renewable, non-polluting sources. What’s more, it’s now cheaper to generate electricity from wind or solar than from fossil fuels.

Electric vehicles are cost-competitive with gas-powered ones and save drivers money over the long term (electricity is cheaper than gas). Wondering about EV performance? Try accelerating your gas-powered vehicle as fast as my electric pick-up! Plugged-in overnight, I can drive wherever, using a fast charger only on long trips.

True, solar panels don’t work at night, and windmills only when windy. But advances in battery storage and grid interconnectivity, together with patches from hydro, enhanced geothermal and nuclear, solve those problems.

Can we improve on our paltry response to 1973? Yes. We can make individual decisions to electrify our lives. We can urge our utilities to transition to cheaper renewables.

And at the ballot box we can vote for those who support moving us toward a more affordable, and less risky energy future.

– Richard Harris, Charlo