Powering through – and beyond – the crisis
Utility Dive
Workers in the electric industry are doing unseen work to support health care systems, supermarkets, and households of all financial means during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the crisis continues, however, governmental investment in the electric grid may help the American economy recover, according to Senior Advisor Susan Tierney in an op-ed published in Utility Dive. Dr. Tierney is a former assistant secretary for policy at the US Department of Energy and a current member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on the Future of the Electric Grid.
In her op-ed, Dr. Tierney argued that such infrastructure spending will boost the job market, bolster delivery systems for essential services, and modernize “broadband deserts” in rural areas, among other benefits. She also suggested that, since state leaders have made bold decisions on behalf of public welfare during the pandemic, they should also commit to improving the electricity infrastructure on which their constituents depend.