Arc of Outrage: The Cost of a No-Build Future

Today, the Arc of Outrage series asks the uncomfortable question: If we demand that energy infrastructure proponents account for the future that they would build, shouldn’t energy infrastructure opponents also account for the future that would result from not building?

What you’ll get in this solo episode of Energy Thinks

When it comes to energy and the future, there is no do-nothing option. Doing nothing is, in fact, doing something—and that something needs to be called out.

It’s nonnegotiable: The future has the right of way. So no, energy infrastructure companies cannot impose their preferred future on communities. But neither can communities and opponents pretend that stopping energy infrastructure projects preserves the status quo.

Choosing not to build also chooses a future—with costs and trade-offs. Without building, today’s status quo becomes tomorrow’s stagnation. The more I work through this series, the more convinced I am that all parties are often forgetting our most important stakeholder: the future.

If we’re serious about building the systems of the future, we must engage communities in shaping the future they want to create.

Both of these things are true:

* Project proponents must answer: What future are you asking this community to accept?

* Project opponents must answer: What future are you creating for your community if this project does not happen?

Today’s outrage is understandable—and predicted by the Arc of Outrage. However, as energy infrastructure leaders, we must expect more of our civic leaders and elected officials than outrage served up in the forms of moratoria and projects denied. A responsible “no” must be paired with a feasible alternative and an honest accounting of its consequences.

A few key ideas from the episode

On what the future requires: “The future as a stakeholder is what is going to happen where I live. It means my kids want to come home ... That future requires environmental stewardship. It requires economic stewardship. And it absolutely demands a certain amount of opportunity and growth.”

The alternative to “no”: “Be thinking about the future as a stakeholder. Engage with your communities in a way that helps facilitate a conversation about what they want to create, and then be willing to change your project. Ultimately, it’s going to be community leaders that have to defend your project, and so it’s going to have to be awesome!”

Bonus content for this episode

My latest book: The Myth and The Moment

More from my recent Arc of Outrage series:

* The Arc of Outrage Has Come for Data Centers

* Stop Calling It Data Center Misinformation

* We Are Nowhere Near Peak Data Center Outrage

* The Data Center Arc Isn’t Fracking. It’s Worse.

Recent podcasts:

* “Persuasion Won’t Shorten the Arc of Outrage” with Lee Beck

* “The Ride You Can’t Get Off”

* “Boardwalk’s Scott Hallam on Lessons from a Past Arc of Outrage”

Watch on YouTube or listen on Substack.

What to do next in The Moment

* Need help navigating the Arc of Outrage? Reach out to request a briefing.

* If you enjoyed this episode, I’d appreciate it if you took a moment to leave Energy Thinks a five-star rating wherever you listen to podcasts.

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The future has the right of way. See you there,

Tisha

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