Conversations on Electric Power

The British government released the Energy White Paper after some hiccups. The highlights are government’s strategy in the area of nuclear energy which almost echoes the discussion that’s pervading in US. Nuclear energy has its plate full of challenges, some of which I have attempted to capture in this blog. It is noteworthy why the white paper was delayed. It was because Greenpeace managed to force the government through court action into a “forced consultation” and public participation in such an important process. It is interesting that the courts have to mediate in such matters and remind governments whom exactly they are serving.

One of the statements that stuck out - “The government wants to boost energy efficiency and change lifestyles, to cut rising energy demand and carbon emissions.” Change lifestyles? I ask how? While change seems inevitable, we cannot think about change without considering the pain that comes along with it. And when change is forced upon by the governmental people react in two ways in a democracy. Either people support or they resist. In matters relating to how we will use electricity in future, in spite of all our best intentions, change is not easy. Whether it is getting used to living near a nuclear power plant or worrying about when it will be cheaper to switch on our dishwashers or do our laundry. Given the harshness of the truth that whatever we do we will disturb the general public, governments are treading on sensitive waters here and is evident that most governments are not daring to catch the bull by its horns to avoid a political suicide. The responsibility of changing our lives to align with the challenges of climate change is thus being vested on lone rangers and independent spirits who are doing it on their own. Ironically, while the British government was working on the white paper, BP canceled its green project citing delays in government commitments for financial incentives for green power.

It is not just about UK government. It is not in any one entity's capacity to bring in behavioral, cutural, or institutional changes without engaging the public. Just to digress a little bit here - everyone talks about how internet has changed our lives. I ask - do we realize how this was possible.

If Internet is a computing grid, it is similar in concept to the power grid. However, it is interesting to note why the power grid is an epitome of centralized power while the internet is free – as in no one person exercises ownership, everyone can plug an play, and add stuff to make it richer, better, and more useful. And the more I think about it I am reminded of the Cluetrain Manifesto. Internet brought in a cultural change because it was a free platform for amorphous development of ideas, rapid execution, and permission-less mindset all combined to propell this chaotic but phenomenal change.

The power grid has been just the opposite. Regulated utilities that have tried to control power, authority, and information as much as possible. As a consumer, I don’t have choices of services, forget service providers. I don’t even know how I am getting charged, so on and so forth. Working within a utility – there is a pervasive lets-not-do-anything mindset that shuns from rocking the boat. Status quo is the mantra as opposed to playing out new ideas. Human beings need stuff to play with and it is from playing and exploring that cool things come out. Cost effective green energy, realistic nuclear waste disposal programs, or innovative power project financing schemes have better chances of cropping up in an environment where more “consultation” and “trial and error” mindset is promoted. Then there are secondary effects. Platforms that provide intellectual freedom tend to attract smarter people and better human talent. Given the falling enrollment rates of students in power programs in Universities this may be another benefit serious enough not to overlook.

Let’s not lose sight of the ball here. While Hollywood stars are driving Priuses to the Oscar night, Tom Friedman is writing incessantly about going green in The New York Times, teenagers and college kids IMing each other about saving the planet with solar and wind, it is equally important that we allow honest conversations leading to actual implementation of these ideas in energy sector. Rather than throwing mud on government efforts, spin doctoring scientific assertions as established truths or work of fiction, and making a living by stalling every new idea in the name of “regulation” or “security” – we need to stop people-stereotyping that destroys honest debate. I would like to see more debates on nuclear waste. What should the number of years that we should plan for in Yucca mountain? 100 years, 10,000, or 1 million years. Should customers pay more for electricity? Is it artificially priced? Is it low or high? What are all the negative externalities? How do we price them? Should we allow decentralized power as alternatives to central generation? We need better arguments better rebuttals. I don’t want to see those “going green” being characterized as ultra-liberal tree-hugging hippies. Or, those people in suits championing nuclear or talking in favor of utilities or oil companies as self-absorbed money making machines; or, a cross between Wall Street and Washington conservative who don’t care about poor people. Or, snub one who seems to be all set to cause nuclear accidents, or plummet property prices of areas if I choose to live near a nuclear plant or oil refinery. At the end - the media needs to stop pretending that the next report or next solution that comes from a government or corporate release will solve all problems. And then beat the hell out of some words that were written or spoken.

Let’s go and do something meanigful. If it fails let's agree we will do something else. Let the collective process work and figure out. Who knows what the next magic bullet is. Nuclear or solar or tide or clean coal – or something completely different that we as individuals cannot comprehend now. Let an honest conversation begin.