The recent storm got me thinking. It was about this time last year that a major October storm left most of our area in the dark for days as trees brought lines down all over the state.

After that storm, I wrote a piece about putting power lines underground. I still think this is a great idea and I am interested to see it being seriously discussed in California after their power lines appear to have, once again, sparked wildfires.

This year, however, I’ve refined my thinking. The recent conversation around the east-west corridor (No! What a terrible idea!) and customer outrage over billing practices (followed by a rate hike request, no less) made me wonder: do we need the grid?

The first house I owned was a small cabin, set in the woods, completely off-grid. Our system was set up on a shoestring budget and with no more knowledge than what was available at the local library or in conversations with vendors at the Common Ground Fair. It wasn’t perfect, but the ice storm of ’98 barely inconvenienced us.

Since then, technology has made giant strides. Heck, they now have solar panels that look like roofing tiles and wind collectors that look like Dr. Seuss trees! This makes me wonder …

What if, instead of burying the lines, we eliminated them? OK, OK, I know, but stick with me here for a moment as we imagine possibilities.

The single greatest obstacle, it seems to me, to going “full green” is lack of initial funding and the amount of research it takes to understand what you are doing. Coupled with that is the fear of getting it wrong and making a costly mistake that drastically reduces your quality of life. At least, that’s what gets in my way these days.

What if those concerns were off the table?

Imagine for a moment a new kind of energy company. Instead of running the generation plants and maintaining the lines, this company would come to your home and evaluate site, structure, usage and need – and then install the solar and/or wind system appropriate for you. The company would perform routine maintenance on the system and respond to emergencies, just as the power company does now. Instead of an intimidating upfront charge, you’d simply pay a flat rate monthly for the service.

Each home would function as its own independent unit, we would make a massive leap towards energy independence and towards fighting climate change – and we still gain a lovely landscape.

I grant that I do not understand the subtleties of the existing system. I grant that this might not work, at least not initially with existing systems, for major users such as BIW or hospitals. I am sure it would be a massive initial outlay and require subsidies and tax breaks. But.

We as a society are staring into a deeply unsettled future. Such times call for dramatic new ideas. So here is my challenge: reframe every “it won’t work because,” into “it won’t work unless …” It is important to see potential fail points, but to also leave a path to their solution.

The weather is not growing less intense. Storms will continue. I do not see the wisdom of pouring more money into a broken and unsustainable system. Let’s be bold and create something new.

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