Opinion: Energy Independence Needed to Keep Us Safe

Local and Green

This column appeared previously in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

At the outset of the COVID 19 epidemic, I wrote that towns need to be resilient to climate impacts in addition to the impacts of a global pandemic. We hadn’t foreseen the extent of the pandemic and it opened our eyes to imagining other risks that might come in the future. Around that same time, towns in the commonwealth created Municipal Vulnerability Plans to address our potential economic, infrastructure and societal risks and vulnerabilities to climate change. Many of the risks identified in those plans would also exist in other potential catastrophes. An example is Amherst’s plan.

With the election of Donald Trump, our level of overall risk has skyrocketed. The climate impact risk has of course increased, with federal climate action and funding targeted for omission and fossil fuel and even coal companies given preferred treatment. I can imagine increased infrastructure damage here in the Valley, caused by the acceleration of climate change, including flooding, wind, storms, fire and combinations of those events.

Beyond that, I see the risk of losing power from the regional grid as a result of weather events, grid overload or bad actors. I see possible risk to power plants and water supplies. I see possible risk of the internet being taken down due to our new lack of cybersecurity. I see a lack of goods with Trump’s tariffs. I see economic insecurity of towns and individuals. I see a risk of war, with Trump’s saber rattling. 

Do you remember when survivalists seemed like a bunch of crazies? Well, if you haven’t noticed, survivalism is going mainstream – survivalism of the apocalypse type we’ve seen so much in recent movies and books (no basic services, no electricity, no communication, no transportation) or of lesser varieties. 

All of which leads me not only to our need to be more resilient but to prioritize municipal and regional energy independence to the degree possible. Renewable electricity is the key element needed. To prepare, we need to invest in locally sourced, owned and controlled solar, wind and geothermal energy, supplemented with energy storage and microgrids that will allow us to carry on if the regional electric grid is down. 

Local electricity independence is essential when we are moving to electrify everything and because emergency services like hospitals, police and fire all rely on electricity (as well as homes, businesses, transportation, internet, other municipal services, schools, libraries, the post office, etc). We can create this kind of energy independence through Valley Green Energy, our new joint municipal electricity aggregation among Amherst, Northampton and Pelham, but it requires a long term commitment and planning. The state can help by enacting S. 2301 which would facilitate communities’ creation of self sufficient energy systems. Energy independence, or at least reduced dependence on utilities and the grid,  can also be accomplished through mechanisms like municipal light plants, energy cooperatives and a combination of these mechanisms.

In anticipation of an emergency event, whether from climate or other risks, we can prepare by electrifying our housing, heating, and transportation. We can invest in disaster resilience and start requiring energy and water conservation. We can create municipal services in-house instead of out-sourcing and hiring consultants. We can support the creation of new local manufacturing that would provide essential products that are currently imported, like furniture and clothing. We can grow and buy food locally. We can learn about and grow medicinal herbs.

For emergency communication and security, we can prepare by developing neighborhood networks to physically contact each resident if phones are inoperable or in emergencies.

We can create cooling and warming stations in municipal buildings for use by town residents for an extended period of time during extreme weather events. 

Participating in life during a crisis at somewhere near our current standard of living though would require the maintenance of energy independence, so a focus on that should be a high priority. 

Small communities across the US are seeking to achieve energy independence. According to Ecowatch, top model communities include: Ithaca, NY, population 31,710; Greensburg, Kansas, population 714; Juneau, Alaska, population 31973; Aspen, Colorado, population 6949; Rock Port, Missouri, population 1,263; Burlington, VT, population 44,781; and Kodiak Island, Alaska, population, 12,787. Local governments can play a pivotal role in promoting energy independence by leveraging their unique position to implement policies, lead by example, and engage their communities in the transition to renewable energy.  

Making a commitment to energy independence and self sufficiency in our Valley towns would require rejiggering our budget priorities, and including the participation of vulnerable populations. It would also require lots of community outreach and education and a visionary municipal legislature foresighted enough to act. Valley residents of the future will assuredly be grateful for our actions today.

Darcy DuMont is a former town councilor and sponsor of the legislation creating the Amherst Energy and Climate Action Committee. She is a founding member of Zero Waste Amherst, Local Energy Advocates of Western MA, and a non-voting member of Valley Green Energy Working Group. She can be contacted at dumint140@gmail.com.