The ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, along with Russia's relentless attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, serves as a stark reminder that true energy security and independence remain out of reach as long as the world relies on fossil fuels. Whether it is wars over oil and gas resources or assaults on power plants and grids, dependence on finite resources only increases a nation's vulnerability.
Recent reports highlight Russia's deadly strikes on Ukraine's energy system, with drones swarming power stations and Kyiv racing to prepare for another winter of attacks. No country can achieve energy security while its fuel supply remains finite and fossilized, and its power plants and grids remain centralized and dependent on fossil fuels. These systems are easy targets for adversaries.
There is an alternative: decarbonized and decentralized energy. By using local, renewable resources to power, heat, and cool communities, backed by battery storage, communities can reduce their reliance on vulnerable power plants and grids. Ukrainian communities are already adopting this approach in response to Russian attacks, rapidly transitioning to renewables.
The Iran war has accelerated the global shift to renewable energy. Countries like Spain are moving quickly, insulating themselves from gas price shocks and protecting against grid-wide blackouts. However, those on the frontlines must not be left behind. With no end to Russian aggression, more Ukrainian power plants and grids will be bombed, leaving millions without power, heat, and water. Many Ukrainians who had heat this past winter switched to solar power, heat pumps, and battery storage, aided by local nonprofits like EcoAction and Ecoclub, as well as international donors.
Initiatives like the Hromada Project, named after the Ukrainian word for "community," are crucial. They connect Ukrainian NGOs with global public and private support, helping communities weather the war. This is exactly what governments should do: help communities worldwide achieve energy security by sourcing power locally from renewables, storing energy in batteries, and electrifying everything for a seamless transition. China has already dominated global wind, solar, battery, and electric vehicle markets through such efforts.
In contrast, the Trump administration and its Republican allies seek to keep the US addicted to fossil fuels. By weaponizing the Department of Defense to stall onshore wind projects, repealing tax incentives for renewables, and bribing clean energy developers to abandon projects, they endanger the adoption of secure, affordable, and clean energy technologies. Forcing Americans to rely on aging fossil fuel infrastructure leads to rising electricity rates and riskier grid conditions.
Before another war erupts and defense budgets double, now is the time to invest in true security and independence. Transitioning away from fuels that spark conflicts and toward decentralized, infinite energies available in every community and country is what real freedom looks like—and it is within reach.
Lloyd Doggett serves Texas's 37th district in the US House of Representatives and is a member of the Ukraine caucus and the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. Michael Shank, PhD, is adjunct faculty at New York University's Center for Global Affairs and at George Mason University's Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.
