Between Hurricane Irene and Snowtober, 2011 has been a year to make the folks around here appreciate the local utility (that is, when we aren't cursing them because we don't have electricity). It's not a bad thing to be aware of utilities (and our dependence on them), but it strikes me that the immediate crises have allowed us to ignore the long-term troubles on our electrical horizon.
I'm referring to the national electric grid, one that was modern back in the mid-1950s but has been permitted to deteriorate since then. As our reliance on the electricity has grown greater, we've shown little national will to update the grid, let alone explore electricity that isn't generated by the burning of our shrinking supply of fossil fuels. Perhaps I'm naive, but I hope that our recent flirtation with no electricity will create greater political will for looking after our electric infrastructure.
At the very least, we should encourage Congress to allocate some national attention (and resources) to updating the grid. It would create jobs, encourage more efficient and responsible energy management, and is just the sort of thing a national government should take on.
We need power plants, power grid updates, new roads and bridges, updated school facilities, etc. Sadly, we might not get these things as long as Obama is President just because of the constant "if Obama wants it we don't, even if it's good for us!" vibe in Congress. It's sad.
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