Priortizing energy self-reliance

by Chris Daum, Stevensville

During this time of instability, it’s more important than ever to prioritize self-reliance when considering our energy sources. Gasoline, oil, and natural gas prices have skyrocketed in the past couple months, triggered by the War in Ukraine. Some have suggested the solution is to produce more, but that won’t solve the problem because the price of oil is set on the world market even when it’s produced in the US, meaning oil prices will always be at the mercy of global events. For a long-term, permanent solution, we need to transition our economy to home-grown clean energy.

We’ve known it for a long time: our reliance on fossil fuels is a national security risk. Volatile prices coupled with our extreme demand mean that concerns over fossil fuel access have driven foreign policy decisions. We’ve seen it happen countless times – most notably during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – and it’s played out again in Ukraine. Concerned by Russia’s power over the oil and natural gas market, the US and Europe were quite reluctant to impose the harshest, most recent sanctions because doing so will hurt their citizens’ pocketbooks.

The volatility in the oil market will only get worse as easy-to-access reserves dry up and oil companies and investors continue to prioritize their bottom line at the expense of consumers and the environment. There are few watchdogs over the way oil producers and big banks control prices, leaving them vulnerable to price gouging during a time when oil prices have fallen but gas prices have remained high. 

Oil companies have an incentive to inflate prices – not only for their bottom line, but also because the newest technologies for extracting increasingly hard-to-reach oil are expensive. Recent technological advancements like fracking are at least three times more expensive than conventional wells to build and maintain, making them more sensitive to uncontrollable price drops. That means oil production – and downstream energy prices – will only get more expensive and more volatile the further we get into the century.

Our U.S. military understands this. The Department of Defense is one of the largest institutional consumers of energy in the world. They’ve made it a priority to streamline their energy use as much as possible by embracing renewable technologies. For them, it’s more than just common sense – it’s a matter of security. Less institutional reliance on oil means fewer fuel convoys and oil rigs that need protecting and more reliance on reliable solar backpacks and blankets.

The long-term solution to the problem is the same one the military has embraced and the same plan the European Union has adopted in the past couple months: transition to green and renewable energies. As the owner of a small solar company and someone who lives with the products that she sells, I can say from experience that solar power is more reliable, more sustainable, and cheaper than other alternatives. It gives me a sense of pride being as self-sufficient as possible and having such control over my energy bill.

Renewable energy has the power to make us self-reliant on the national level too. The more we can transition our energy grid, vehicles, and other infrastructure away from fossil fuels, the less we have to worry about foreign wars while planning a cross country road trip. The price of energy will be more stable – especially with recent advancements in battery technology, which will make EVs drive further on a charge and allow wind and solar installations to store more energy.

As renewable energy advancements make us more self-sufficient, they will also create a large number of quality, high paying jobs. Already, clean energy is the biggest job creator in our country’s energy sector, employing almost three times as many workers as the fossil fuel industry. Those workers receive good benefits, making 25% more than the national median wage. Nearly 10,000 Montana residents work in the clean energy sector already. Recently proposed federal legislation under negotiation could create 10,000 more.

Our Senator Tester knows this, which is why he has introduced legislation to strengthen the renewable energy sector and ensure Montana’s public lands are being used responsibly to support energy jobs. He recognizes the self-reliance benefits green energy provides and knows their capacity as job creators. He also knows we can’t stand idly by while Putin punishes the citizens of Ukraine for simply existing.

I thank Sen. Tester for his balanced approach to these complicated problems and for his tireless work in the Senate to secure Montana’s interests. We need leaders with his pragmatism and compassion in order to find the best long-term solutions to the problems created by our reliance on foreign fossil fuels. 

Chris Daum has been in the renewable energy business since 1989. She’s the owner and founder of Oasis Montana, a small solar company that personalizes each system they install.