In a recent address to Congress, President Trump expressed his firm stance against climate change action. He highlighted his decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord and vowed to continue drilling for oil. Recently, he also froze federal funding for various climate initiatives and stepped back from supporting wind energy development.
With the current political climate, it’s likely that there won’t be much federal progress on climate issues. This may lead people to see tech giants like Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft as key players in the fight against climate change. These companies are committing to using clean energy to power their data centers. They have made notable agreements to purchase renewable energy, which suggests they are serious about their promises.
However, it’s risky to rely solely on Big Tech to solve our climate problems. Data centers have significantly increased their energy use, doubling their power consumption in five years. In Virginia, these centers represented 26% of the state’s total electricity use in 2023. This trend shows that these companies could actually contribute more to the problem rather than helping to solve it. Instead of depending on their corporate responsibility, we should focus on publicly owned power systems. Local agencies, like the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, play a crucial role in creating effective clean energy solutions for everyone.
In the U.S., over a quarter of electricity customers receive their power from community-owned utilities. Cities like Austin and Omaha, even in politically conservative areas, have municipal utilities dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Almost 2,000 publicly owned power companies exist across the country, along with around 900 rural electric cooperatives supplying power to countless residents.
This public power model has historical roots. During Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, he proposed establishing public power projects to create a standard for evaluating private companies. By fostering competition, he aimed to improve services and accessibility. As a result, public initiatives like the Tennessee Valley Authority were established, bringing electricity to many rural areas that had none before.
Today, relying on private companies alone for cleaner energy can lead to higher costs without achieving essential goals like reliability, affordability, and reduced carbon emissions. Even if tech companies shift towards green energy, the increased demand for power puts pressure on the grid. This situation often means keeping older fossil fuel plants running to meet everyone’s electricity needs. While enhancing public transport is valuable, the energy used for unnecessary tech projects raises questions about its justification.
It’s important to prioritize the ultimate goal: cutting greenhouse gas emissions to net zero. This effort requires both new energy sources and measures to conserve what we currently use.
Publicly regulated private utilities may seem a better choice than tech giants, but they often push for higher rates to fund their clean energy initiatives. At a time when many struggle to pay their bills, pitting climate goals against affordable energy is neither wise nor fair.
Instead of choosing between Big Tech and private utilities, we should prioritize public power in our efforts to combat climate change. Publicly owned utilities are accountable to the community rather than shareholders. They can borrow money at lower rates and are not pressured to deliver excessive profits. Following Roosevelt’s vision, public power can serve as a benchmark for private utilities, encouraging them to improve their own practices in the process.
For example, Washington state has a largely carbon-free energy grid, thanks to public investment. The Grand Coulee Dam and other publicly owned projects provide clean hydropower, allowing municipal utilities like Seattle City Light to offer low rates to their customers.
In 2023, New York empowered the New York Power Authority to lead renewable energy projects. This initiative should help the state reach its climate goals and set an example for others across the country in public decarbonization efforts.
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Energy & the Environment,Climate Crisis,electric utilities,privatization,Big Tech,data centers,Donald Trump,Trump transition,Sandeep Vaheesan,Politics
