Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought energy security crisis back to page one news. Or, more precisely energy insecurity is now back in the news.
What do we mean by “energy security?” Broadly, it’s the reliable supply of clean and affordable energy, consistent with domestic and international objectives and sustainability. It encompasses a range of concerns and time scales – long-term and short-term, domestic and foreign, economic and political, environmental and reliability in the face of natural and man-made risks.
Energy security in any form has been a concern for decades. But when things seem normal, we take it for granted. It’s when things go wrong that we wake up and pay attention.
Today, rising prices for petroleum and natural gas have been turbocharged by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These rising energy costs are causing economic distress throughout the world.
There are many policies and actions being considered that aim to increase alternative energy supplies, reduce energy consumption, or both. But most policy measures and the subsequent economic relief won’t happen quickly, with results often measured in months if not years.
There is an immediate action that can be taken to reduce the 672,000 barrels per daily of Russian petroleum the United States imported for 2021. We can reduce our road fuel consumption simply by lowering our vehicle miles traveled (VMT).
Russian imports account for a little over 5% of U.S. electricity used to power cars and trucks. When VMT drops, so does fuel consumption. VMT decreased 11% in 2020 due to COVID-19’s most restrictive travel. Every month that began March 2020 saw a minimum of 6% decrease in VMT compared to the previous year, even though restrictions started to ease.
A 5% to 6-percent reduction in VMT could save enough fuel to cover all our Russian oil imports. Collectively, we can stop paying for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine by breaking our dependence on Russian oil and gas exports.
Make working from home a patriotic response to Putin’s war. If remote workers are encouraged to return to the workplace, you might consider hitting the Pause button. Keep Zooming to Ukraine
What about the rest of you? Can you do it all with just one or a few fewer car trips per semaine? Most of us can save more by driving 10-15 miles less per week than we do with our Russian imports. That’s not a big ask.
There’s also a substantial environmental bonus from a VMT reduction. A 5% VMT cut would reduce CO2 emissions to the tune of 75 million metric tons per annum, which is equal to 16 million passenger cars. Patriotism meets environmental sustainability.
Energy security has been a key issue again. While our leaders are focusing on the longer-term effects of their actions, the rest can take immediate action to make a difference.