Power to the People By U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA) The Hill[WEBSITE VERSION] June 24, 2009
As we lay the groundwork for December's climate talks in Copenhagen and as we try to strengthen the foundation of climate legislation now before Congress, we must not be single-minded in our focus on countrywide commitments to carbon cuts.
By single-minded, I mean America-only. Naturally, "America" has been the focus of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, and as the U.S. plays catch-up to the developed world's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions this self-assessment is certainly welcome. But this tendency by developed world nations, as they nobly give a necessary nod to a lighter carbon footprint, is neither morally or monetarily justifiable as long as one major player remains outside the conversation.
Am I talking about China, India or Brazil, as nation-states that are needed at the nexus of the climate change conversation? No, although they certainly must be active participants. I am, instead, talking about the global poor, and how our response to climate change must simultaneously articulate a way forward for the least of us, who will, no doubt, feel the most of this, in terms of adverse impacts of climate change.
The good news here is that by factoring the global poor in our response to climate change, we not only lower the environmental and health risks associated with global warming -- risks from natural disasters acutely felt by poor communities, as seen in Myanmar after the cyclone, Sri Lanka and India after the Tsunami, New Orleans after the hurricane -- but we simultaneously seize upon an opportunity to democratize energy.
What do I mean by the democratization of energy? I mean that "one person, one vote" should be extended to "one person, one energy supplier," through the creation of a radically different energy infrastructure and market where supply is not controlled by a handful of utilities but by every individual household.
Consider, for a moment, how centralized our energy system is in the United States. Most residents have limited options when it comes to energy supply and, as a result, are often victimized by market forces and fluctuations in prices. The California electricity crisis, for example, resulted from a range of reasons: insufficient generating and natural gas capacity, regulation inadequacies, market power abuses, and the general failure to look out for the public’s interest.
Thankfully, much has changed in California since the energy crisis, including the increasing capacity of individual Californians to generate and sell renewable energy. Many homes are now topped with solar panels, for example; the generated power offsets the consumer’s monthly electric bill, leaving the user with little to no monthly electricity fees.
This is the way of the future. This is the democratization of energy -- putting power, literally and figuratively speaking, into the hands of the people. And if America leads, and thus lowers the market price for household-sized renewable energy technologies, other countries will follow because the price will be right. Leadership in this area brings economic benefits as well: companies designing home-appropriate solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal, biomass, or other energy producing devices, can amass majority market share by scaling up, then going global. My district in the Silicon Valley region is already driving fast and furious toward this goal; no doubt others are too.
What does any of this have to do with helping the global poor, who are poised to be the most adversely impacted by climate change?
First, by democratizing energy supply here in the U.S. through the opening of markets and the incentivizing of innovative design, we will make it possible for households here to quickly go green -- even when their local or regional utility has yet to convert to renewable sources -- because the energy-producing products will be affordable. This has implications for climate change since the U.S. remains a leading per-capita carbon emitter; nearly five times that of China. Greener households equal a greener planet -- all of which is good for reducing climate-related risks faced by poor communities.
But the crux of the matter for the developing world is in the affordability and accessibility of individually sized energy-producing devices. Much like the recent climate change challenge hosted by the Financial Times, which awarded the inventor of a cardboard-box-cum-eco-friendly-oven, so too must we motivate our innovators to think outside the (cardboard) box, if you will, and produce portable and affordable power. By giving the power to the people in this way, we enable citizens of even the most autocratic countries to be free from fetters, equipping them with ways to harness the sun's, wind’s and Earth's powers directly and cheaply.
The kicker for the developed world, then, is the enhanced freedom and security felt by its citizens. By giving the power to the people, you go local with your supply and demand, thus making region-wide, or systems-wide, sabotaging or terrorism much more difficult. A country powered locally, by individual households harnessing the sun, the wind, or other renewable resource, is a country more secure, with less risk and less fear.
It is time, then, to give energy to the people. Because this is what democracy looks like: power in the hands -- or in this case, households -- of the people.
Honda is a member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.