Giving Thanks for Reliable Power

As Americans, most of us have a laundry list of things of things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Whether its a warm bed, food on the table, or steady work to pay the bills, the modern standard of living we enjoy is something worthy of appreciation.

But there are people to be thankful for, too. The selfless heroes in our armed forces who defend our nation. Those in blue who protect our streets. The brave firefighters who put themselves in danger. The doctors and nurses who work tirelessly to save lives. But allow me to suggest another group of people, one that might not seem so obvious: electrical workers.

The men and women who keep our lights on have special jobs. When storms are raging and conditions are at their worst, most sensible people head for shelter. But those responsible for keeping the lights on do the opposite. They put on their boots and their jackets and prepare to spend nights in the rain or snow, even if it means working through the night or through a holiday.

Electrical workers often go unnoticed, unthanked, and unheralded for their dedication. After all, we rarely think of utility service until it goes out. That’s not our fault, as customers. On the contrary, it’s a compliment to the men and women who do their job so well. It’s the kind of job whose reward is not medals or accolades, but knowing that what you do makes people’s lives better.

It’s easy to take reliable power for granted. It is only when the lights begin to dim and television sets begin to flicker, or when forced blackouts are ordered, that most of us think about the reliability of the electricity grid we all share. But Energy Fairness thinks about reliability and affordability every day. And we stand up when we see threats to that reliability or when we recognize policy proposals that don’t account for the realities of delivering power to American families in all conditions, good and bad. American electricity customers deserve a voice like that and we’ve tried hard for a full decade now to fill that role.

This Thanksgiving, I suggest that we give thanks for the people behind our power grid and for the wisdom of regulators and lawmakers who have thrown their support behind common sense energy policy. What they do is an important part of keeping America strong.