Power: All of it!

Published June 11, 2025

Each week is an opportunity to highlight something of significance that has either already arrived but is not understood yet, or offer a friendly “heads up” on something headed our way. Within that realm, I feel compelled to talk about energy. All of it. And when I refer to “all,” those numbers can get really big.

Simply put, the scale of huge challenges or numbers can collide with our human capacity to take in such massive things. It’s kind of like watching your favorite scientist demonstrate size and distance – from a tiny atom, up to a person, then a city, the Earth, our solar system, and finally just how enormous the universe is. But, regardless of how cool their presentation might be, we still can’t really comprehend it. And for most, that kind of cosmic demonstration is just not relevant to your daily life. In contrast, things could easily “get real” for all of us as our lives are impacted by not having enough energy to power the future.

The obvious counter to calls for more power is “Humans have been fine so far, so it’s all good.” I appreciate that perspective. And yet, I don’t think I’m alone in wanting better lives year over year for as much of humanity as possible. And when I say “better lives,” that phrase could be replaced with “less suffering.”

In February of this year, I was fortunate to be in London along with 4100 others from around the world who came together under the name of Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC). All of the recurring topics from that 3-day conference were somehow tied back to fostering a pro-human vision of our collective future where we effectively balance our individual rights and collective identity. And while ARC fosters this vision, its belief is that it’s possible to enable fulfilled and moral lives, along with economic growth, while even promoting human flourishing. All of these grandiose goals are built on top of successfully ensuring affordable, reliable, and efficient energy. Without affordable energy, the cycle of poverty persists, as basic needs go unmet and opportunities for development remain out of reach. In the end, the ARC conference helped me recalibrate how I consider the importance of energy and especially access to electricity.

Basically, people will never behave in ways to build a better future if they’re simply trying not to die today. Household air pollution from burning biofuels like wood, charcoal, and dung for cooking and heating is a significant health crisis in Africa, particularly for women. The World Health Organization estimates that 3.2 million people die prematurely each year from illnesses linked to household air pollution globally, with women and children in sub-Saharan Africa disproportionately affected due to their primary role in cooking. Why does this happen? They have a lack of reliable affordable energy.

Bosque County residents might say “But that’s WAY beyond the county line!” Well, this background information is to point out that the importance of power goes far beyond just needing more energy for a bunch of data centers to support emerging artificial intelligence. Groups like ARC are trying to wake up all of humanity (including “the woke”) to how making the world a better place for all of us actually works. Energy is not the sole solution, but it is clearly a major part of the larger equation.

Understanding where the United States stands regarding power and the ramifications of our plans for power development is the first step towards a better tomorrow. Currently, the U.S. has about 1.3 terawatts (TW) of electrical generation capacity with plans aiming to double that capacity to 2.4 TW by 2050. Some think this is not enough. In contrast, China is moving to increase its current estimated capacity of 3.35 TW of power to 9 TW by 2050.

Whether or not you see this as a type of “arms race” with a global rival or see this a part of the world’s larger need for affordable power to raise humanity out of poverty, the point remains the same. We do not need to underestimate the relevance of this topic. Electrical capacity is just that… Power – power to bless, power to realize potential, and power to thrive.

As citizens of Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) shapes our lives whether we like it or not. I’m not commenting one way or another on their performance. And regarding other power-related controversial topics, I appreciate why some people fight against wind farms. I also get that some don’t like fields of solar panels covering what used to be more classic farming or ranching. And, personally, I am pleased that next-gen nuclear has reemerged in the larger narrative. 

My point is that most of us take for granted the power sources of our lives. Yes, we might complain about the rising prices or be disappointed with our lights flickering during a storm. But truly digging into the interwoven issues, physics, economics, and politics of power is required if we want this party going onward and upward.

In the end, I predict we’re going to need all of it, and it’s not going to build itself.

 

And beyond this, let’s see what’s next!

J Matt Wallace