A National Security Solution

Green Energy Partners’ proposed power facility near the Capital Beltway will not only empower Loudoun County, but also serve as a national security measure. The following is direct testimony by Benjamin K. Sovacool on behalf of the Piedmont Environmental Council before the State Corporation Commission of Virginia.

“Few question that energy security is a vital component of national security, and that the electricity demands of Washington, D.C., represent an important security concern.  Loss of power in our Nation’s capital can have profound and lasting effects on critical infrastructure. Long distance transmission is not reliable.

Large and long transmission lines lose reactive power the larger and longer they become, requiring the system to compensate in ways that increase the likelihood of systems collapse. a comprehensive, three-year DoD and Federal Emergency Management Agency study  Brittle Power: Energy Strategy for National Security,  concluded that relying on centralized plants to transmit and distribute electric power created unavoidable (and costly) vulnerabilities.  The study noted that transmission and distribution systems constituted “brittle infrastructure” that could be easily disrupted, curtailed, or attacked.  One of the authors of the study, physicist Amory Lovins, who is currently helping the U.S. military streamline energy-intensive sectors, has long argued that if you build an efficient, diverse, dispersed electricity system, major failures—whether by accident or malice—become impossible by design rather than inevitable by design.

The first principle, diversification, entails diversifying the types of fuel, the mechanisms of power generation, and the geographical distribution of generation facilities. Multiplying one’s supply sources by investing in multiple alternatives serves the interests both of consumers and producers because it ensures that the power supply chain is not dependent on any single fuel source.  As well, the geographical dispersion of generators not only improves their overall reliability, it makes the entire distribution network more secure and resilient to accidental power disruption, systems failure, or intentional attack. Recent follow-up epidemiological and toxicological studies have shown that for some of these pollutants (coal Plants), such as mercury and particulate matter, no safe levels of exposure may exist.  In short, by linking the National Capital Area to coal-fired generation to the west, Dominion’s proposed Loudoun line will indirectly, but incontrovertibly, kill people. The U.S. government has also acknowledged the ability of renewable distributed generation to deter major power outages and provide consistent power supply.”

From a national security perspective, Green Energy Partners’ proposal will create a more diversified, centralized and efficient energy system around the nation’s capital. The inclusion of Green Energy Partners’ facility will work to make the entire power generation network surrounding Washington D.C. more secure.

Power plants are generally long-lived investments; the majority of the existing capacity is 30 or more years old.  Because of the expected near-term retirement of many aging plants in the existing fleet, growth of the information economy, economic growth, and the forecasted growth in electricity demand, America faces a significant need for new electric power generation. North America’s world-class electric system is facing several serious challenges. Major questions exist about its ability to continue providing citizens and businesses with relatively clean, reliable, and affordable energy services. The recent downturn in the economy masks areas of grid congestion in numerous locations across America. These bottlenecks could interfere with regional economic development. The “information economy” requires a reliable, secure, and affordable electric system to grow and prosper. Unless substantial amounts of capital are invested over the next several decades in new generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, service quality will degrade and costs will go up.  

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