Recently, Michigan has declared that they aim to make a renewable energy grid state-wide starting in 2026. However this idea is not the first of its kind. Nearly twenty-five years ago, Vermont became the first state to implement this in the entire nation.
Although we hear about energy efficiency and renewable energy, most of us aren't aware of the true power of these grids and the importance of them in the first place. So today, let's take a look into the importance of renewable energy sources, and analyze the pros and the cons.
What exactly is renewable energy?
Well, it's a broad term to fully describe in a few sentences. Essentially, it's a category of energy that is harnessed from natural resources: such as geothermal energy, solar energy, and wind power amongst many others (now does it ring a bell?). We generally refer to this energy as "clean" because we are using nature's own resources to power the earth without using polluting chemicals. Nowadays, renewable energy is the very forefront to global agencies' mission statements, as they are one of the most efficient ways we could combat global warming.
What do state-wide grid system have to do with this?
Grid connections for renewable energy systems help communities, states, and possibly maybe even nations help to function cleaner and more beneficial towards our Earth. The specific benefits are that:
Less costly than a traditional grid
Better substitute for energy sources for individual households as a whole (if households use solar panels, it will only fuel more clean energy being consumed)
More reliable than regular grids that can completely fail to function after being tampered with
However some concerns for these state projects are that they:
Require billions of dollars to start up in the first place, displacing the need to have a renewable grid system in the first place.
Infrastructure Limitations
Existing transmission lines might not be able to handle th increased power flows, which could lead to power surges and outages.
My Take
I personally am a strong advocate for establishing renewable grid systems in states, but so is everyone else. The real issue isn't whether or not this idea is efficient, but it's actually about whether or not governments can take the brunt of the effort in establishing them in the first place, which directly references the difficulty of establishing means to produce renewable energy. Even designing and manufacturing windmills take up a significant portion of the U.S.' funding towards the environment.
However the purpose of these projects outweighs the obstacles and money we have to put in. If our nation as a whole starts having renewable energy channeled through grid systems as a means of everyday living, then on there will be a significant decrease in money that we, the people, have to put into our taxes. Additionally we will also be living in a cleaner society, increasing its influence to other nations.
We are so dependent on energy systems currently (more than ever before) and therefore we must make more of an effort to help it adapt to not only our own needs, but the planet's.
