Electricity by Zach Teti

Philadelphia Hub, Pennsylvania, USA Originally from Pennsylvania, USA

The current state of technology is really impressive. It has to be a leading contributor in whatever has enabled humanity to be able to ban together in this mass quarantine. It could be argued that modern technology hadn’t been fully utilized prior to this widespread order. This week, one third of the human population had some sort of local travel restriction. While I don’t see how this could be something that is aggregately monitored, it is so extraordinary that this policy had been jointly put into effect across nations: two billion human beings in their homes. (And) while I can’t speak to the pressure this policy has put on things like “the cloud”, the past few weeks have seen an unprecedented roll-out of use in technological amenities. Data and information sharing is so seamless – and personally, now that it is something I am reliant upon as a researcher, I’m witnessing myself and my colleagues become very skilled in the coordination of information sharing through digital channels.

As an electric energy economist, I think about the reliability of the electricity in which so many folks are using as they “work from home.” I’m a climate change activist. I intend on devoting my career towards the transition to renewable electric energy. It is imperative that wind, solar, battery storage, and hydro improve – especially before electric vehicles really start to stake claim on the roadways. But if electric black-outs supplemented the current mania, people would really freak out… or maybe they would immediately freak out and get over it? In the 21stcentury, in developed countries, electricity is an expected part of life. In reality, it is a major polluting input into the anthropogenic system. I do think if we were too “gung-ho” about renewable electricity, which is intermittent in nature, the past few weeks could have been a good bit uglier than they were. Imagine not being able to access the news from an electric device. Imagine going to the store to find news papers sold out as the demand surge wasn’t a part of the newspaper business’s plan.

For decades, there have been many environmentalists, politicians, and economists that have addressed climate change and the overhaul of electricity production. Events today, the concept of electric reliability, should be an important aspect of the discussion. Recently, Greta was on the front page of the Rolling Stone and, as the vocal leader, gives us eight years to “figure it out.” I’ll be graduating next May – I’ll definitely have my “work cut out for me.”