The Philosophy of the Electric Grid

October 27, 2021

Power outages such as the one that hit Texas last winter illustrate that states are failing to fortify the electric grid against severe weather caused by climate change, the Washington Post reports. In Issues, Adam Briggle provides a philosopher’s view of the situation. He argues that although technological improvements are needed, such as better weatherization and more storage capacity, we also “should be thinking about both resilience of the grid and freedom from the grid.” Consuming energy beyond a certain level does not make people “happier, healthier, smarter, or longer-lived,” he writes, while increasing capacity raises the stakes for when delivery systems fail.

Posted by Tom Burroughs