Electrification is Energy Independence
Fun fact: in 2023, the United States imported 75% of petroleum and crude oil from just 5 countries. 52% came from Canada, 11% from Mexico, 5% from Saudi Arabia, 4% from Iraq, and 3% from Brazil. With so much of our energy coming from these few sources, global events can rapidly put our energy security on unstable ground. As energy prices increase, so too does everything else–we need energy to transport goods, store them, and consume them. Skyrocketing energy prices are the rising tides that sink all ships.
The most obvious answer might be to drill for more oil within the U.S. border, but that’s not as simple as it seems. Oil extraction exposes communities to unhealthy air in the form of toxic pollution, causing respiratory, cardiovascular, and other diseases, which were responsible for more than 13 percent of deaths in people 14 and older in the United States in 2018. In addition to that, oil and gas development destroys ecosystems, scarring up the land and destroying the natural beauty of the wilderness. It endangers plants and animals, harms the tourism industry, increases noise pollution, and robs Americans of the ability to explore nature unimpeded. We’re already in the position of paying too much for our energy. We shouldn’t have to pay even more by sacrificing our health, wellness, or the beauty of our great outdoors.
The good news is that energy independence doesn’t have to come at this cost. Clean energy is seeing record growth in the U.S.. In 2024, wind and solar generated more electricity than coal for the first time ever, and there’s no reason that this growth needs to slow down. With green energy sources, America can power the country without sacrificing our air or water quality. We can preserve our natural land, keep our communities healthy, and insulate ourselves from global conflicts that can cause our energy prices to rise, like Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Electrification becomes easier with efficient building standards like Passive House. As we work to bring more sources of green energy online, Passive House helps lower energy demand by creating a hyper-efficient building, slashing energy prices by up to 80% and enabling the existing energy grid to power more homes. By bringing down the peak demands of heat in the winter and cooling in the summer, Passive House helps us meet in the middle, accelerating our ability to electrify the grid.
While it may not be an instant solution, electrification is the key to our long-term energy independence. By investing in wind and solar, we can electrify our grid to power America, creating a cleaner, healthier future that’s resilient, not only to our changing climate, but to global instabilities and trade relations. With Passive House, we can get there even sooner.
Find out more about Electrification & Decarbonization with Passive House during our next live-online specialized course on Wednesday, February 19th, from Noon-2PM ET. Learn more and Register.
