As the United States celebrates its independence this weekend many policymakers will be discussing energy and climate legislation with their constituents.  A common theme will no doubt be the need for “energy independence”—an elusive goal of U.S. policy since at the least the 1970s.  As we strive to enact comprehensive energy and climate reform it would be helpful to purge from the debate opaque and unrealistic goals such as “energy independence” and “energy security.”

A more realistic and enlightened objective is “energy resilience.”  The concept of resilience is starting to gain traction in homeland security circles as it becomes increasingly clear that not every threat can be prevented.  The White House recently announced a new resilience directorate as a part of a reorganization of the homeland and national security staffs. 

In a global market-based economy total energy independence is neither attainable nor desirable.  Former Intel Chairman and CEO Andrew Grove has made this point convincingly as of late in arguing for energy resilience through a diverse energy supply generating electricity for all energy purposes, including transportation.

Reducing our reliance on foreign oil is a vital goal, but we must be smart about what we put in its place.  Fueling the transportation sector with electricity means that anything that can be converted to electricity can power our automobiles.  With an energy supply from varied sources a disruption in one source can be easily replaced with other sources.  Such a resilience strategy will require modernizing and strengthening the electrical power grid towards a smart grid that can facilitate the widespread use of electric-powered vehicles and integrate energy from multiple sources.

Energy resilience is an achievable goal that best serves our economic and societal interests.  Its time for a new revolution with a new goal.  Maybe one day we will celebrate Resilience Day.