Electricity is the only product in the known universe that is produced, deployed, and consumed in an instant. Understanding that complexity can be a real obstacle for policymakers to make the right decisions to create long term policies related to electricity. Recently, the Coalition for a Secure Energy Future conducted a series of focus groups in the suburban Twin Cities area to better understand how people think about energy. These eye-opening discussions allow our members to better understand what factors are most important to voters when it comes to the future of energy in the region.
Here are some key takeaways on what we learned:
- Participants wanted assurance they would continue to have access to reliable electricity for a generation.
- The group suggested that cost is a driving factor of concern. Any increase in electricity rates could cause harm.
- Energy policy should consider the impact on jobs. Job creation was a top priority. Any impact to current jobs would be a bad idea.
- Utilizing all of our energy resources would be to our advantage.
- Incentivizing next-generation technology is preferred to mandates.
- They had very little understanding of how electricity was generated or the differences amongst baseload (dispatchable) and intermittent (non-dispatchable) sources of energy.
Over the next several months, the Coalition team will continue to have conversations with voters and ratepayers to have a deeper understanding of what the future should look like when it comes to the delivery and production of affordable and reliable electricity.