Although the word “infrastructure” rarely inspires politicians, it is a vital component of a nation’s strength and power. Modern civilization is dependent on otherwise unremarkable infrastructure such as railways, pipelines, cell towers, satellites or irrigation canals. To power them all, we need electricity in ever-increasing amounts for a more diverse set of uses than in any other moment in U.S. history.
However, the United States’ electric infrastructure is not adequate to sustain its superpower economy. Because of this, significant efforts to upgrade power generation and transmission infrastructure must be a priority in the coming years.
The first issue with U.S. electric infrastructure is power distribution, or the way electricity is transmitted from power plants to homes and factories. The overall capacity of the power grids in the United States is being strained by the rising demands of expanding electricity applications for civilian and industrial purposes. For instance, the increase in electric car ownership, along with the growing use of artificial intelligence software, which is accompanied by the data centers, storage facilities and other emerging technologies, is causing the grid to struggle with meeting demand.
To add to this issue, the power grids themselves are facing declining conditions. Inadequate maintenance, aging equipment and, most importantly, the bottlenecks occurring with existing power lines are adding far too much stress to existing energy infrastructure. For the public, this means power cuts, shortages of goods due to a lack of production and issues with essential services such as plumbing, heating and communication, posing an immediate danger to our daily lives.
As the population grows and the use of electricity expands and diversifies, cables and substations that distribute power will become increasingly strained, risking power outages that will damage the economy and impede industrial output.
The second aspect of the infrastructure problem comes from power generation, which encompasses the combined output of solar panels, wind farms, coal plants, nuclear reactors and many other types of electricity-producing facilities. Current issues in power generation primarily stem from a lack of central organization and future-proof planning, largely because, compared to China and the European Union, the United States lags in investments in renewable energy.
Fossil fuels, especially natural gas, remain a key method of power generation, largely due to demand rising faster than supply. As promising as solar or wind energy may be, the U.S. economy still relies heavily on fossil fuels, largely because of stalling momentum in investments toward renewable energy.
More importantly, the United States has not emphasized the use of nuclear energy as a reliable and efficient source during its transition from fossil fuels to solar and wind power. While it is admirable that these two methods are becoming increasingly efficient, examples in France, Russia and especially China demonstrate that nuclear energy is far more reliable at sustaining a power network than solar and wind energy.
The increase in nuclear energy efficiency in China is significantly higher than that of the United States. This means that China can build more reactors at a faster rate and for less money, while also allowing its people and industries to use nuclear energy at a lower cost. Cases are broadly similar for other major nuclear powers, which represents the disadvantage of the United States in powering its own population and industries.
Nuclear energy investments in the United States are primarily impeded by the negative image associated with Chernobyl, Fukushima and other nuclear disasters. Although understandable, misconstrued ideas about nuclear energy must be combatted with a confident emphasis on its proven efficiency, sustainability and reliability.
But what can be done to mitigate the energy crisis the United States is facing?
First, a centrally organized plan must be created between the federal government and local governments. Power distribution and generation are the technical aspects of the infrastructure problem, but the third component — power management — requires a nationwide coordination of power systems and construction projects to meet rising demand and address both of the prior aspects.
It will be necessary to analyze the shortcomings of the existing infrastructure to both overhaul the existing, aging infrastructure and expand investments in anticipation of future growth. Replacing aging substations, power cables and high-voltage lines with modern equipment is needed to support existing demand. This must be followed by expanding the grid ahead of any future demand increases. Expanding supply preemptively can give the power network breathing room to maintain grid stability, while also mitigating the risks of outages due to equipment failure or sabotage.
Issues related to power generation will also require coordination and future-proof planning to be addressed. Oil and natural gas are primarily supported by corporate interests, which are backed by government support, making renewable energy both an economic and a political issue. Therefore, along with coordinating local and federal authorities to address local power demands and plan future infrastructure investments, divesting from fossil fuels toward nuclear and renewable energy needs to be a political priority.
The essence of the infrastructure problem is that it requires planning and coordination to be solved. Modern civilization and a modern economy cannot endure without reliable and sustainable power infrastructure. As such, there must be a concentrated effort to overhaul, expand and transform the power infrastructure to maintain the stability of the national economy.
Deniz Gulay is a junior double-majoring in history and Russian.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial.