Russia Doesn’t Know It, but It Just Made a Strong Case for Local Energy
The worldwide headlines are that Russia is cutting natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria unless they pay in rubles, making energy, in essence, a weapon of war. European leaders describe Russia’s move as blackmail to undercut their support of Ukraine.
Russia’s actions make real the longtime worry that European countries are too reliant on Russia for energy to heat their homes and run their businesses. It also underscores the value of microgrids, solar, energy storage and other forms of local energy — energy that is under the control of a local community, government, business or even household.