Under Appreciated Energy Infrastructure

It seems all too often that the importance of energy infrastructure is not fully appreciated by policymakers or the general public – myself included. This may be due to a lack of understanding of the complexity and importance of energy infrastructure in ensuring reliable and affordable energy access.

But it might also be that we simply take energy infrastructure for granted, assuming that energy production and distribution will magically continue to happen without giving much thought to the underlying systems and facilities that make it possible.

But then, problems emerge and our consumption of energy becomes disrupted (electricity brown- or blackouts) or noticeably expensive (price at the pump, electricity bills). Then we somewhat begrudgingly realize that energy infrastructure is a critical component of energy systems, and it plays a key role in ensuring that energy is available when and where it is needed.

As such, policymakers and energy investors must consider energy infrastructure as a critical component of any energy policy and investment strategy. This means not only investing in new energy infrastructure but also maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure to ensure that it remains efficient, reliable, and safe. Only by doing so, can we ensure that energy systems can continue to meet the evolving and growing needs of society while minimizing negative environmental impacts.

In the next few articles we will be taking a look at energy infrastructure.