Renewable energy is potentially the greatest peace plan in history, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in her opening remarks at a U.S.-EU Energy Council Ministerial this week.
"No country has been held hostage to access to the sun," Granholm said, quoting her Irish counterpart Eamon Ryan. "No country has been hostage to the wind. This is not just an energy and climate issue; it is also potentially the greatest peace plan that ever existed, to be able to build energy independence from clean energy," she said.
"So, the faster we move, the faster we complete the clean energy transition," Granholm concluded, adding, "The faster we'll be able to deliver more affordable energy, more diverse energy, more reliable power and true energy independence and therefore security."
The transition to a low-carbon economy is a priority for the Biden administration, which has proposed billions in spending on new wind and solar power generation capacity and electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, the issue of energy security has come into the spotlight amid the increased tensions between the West and Russia over Russia's actions in Ukraine. Although Russia has given no indications or hints it may stop gas deliveries for Europe, the latter is scrambling to find alternative sources of the commodity should the situation deteriorate to its disadvantage.
Unfortunately, the world's other large gas exporters, including Qatar, Australia, and the United States, have already committed most of their volumes under long-term contracts, which has only highlighted the importance of energy security.
"The United States and the EU each underlined their commitment to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and to working together to ensure a rapid decarbonisation and clean energy transition, and to promote increasing investments in related technologies," a joint statement after the meeting of the U.S.-EU Energy Council said. "Accordingly, the Council reiterated the need to phase out unabated coal for power generation and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies without delay."
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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And while the US Energy Secretary ties renewables to world peace, many in the world are questioning whether this excessive zeal for energy transition has an ulterior motive, namely preventing the Arab world, Venezuela and Russia who will be producing the very last oil barrels from enhancing their geopolitical and economic influence over the global economy in coming years.
Dr Mamdouh G Salameh
International Oil Economist
Visiting Professor of Energy Economics at ESCP Europe Business School, London
Now let us pray that clean energy will be free of dirty cyber manipulation and ransomware. Let us make it so!
More renewable generation capacity in Europe would also remove Russia's leverage which they currently enjoy from their control of fossil fuel supply.
Renewables are cheaper, when combined with battery and hydro storage they are more reliable. The Energy Secretary is absolutely right in her assessment.
I seem to remember someone saying nearly a century ago, "Peace in our time." Didn't work so well for Neville, in fact, it worked horribly!
People are still the same - no matter how much guile they might hide behind.