| After WWI, President Woodrow Wilson said, "the | | | | Afghanistan and Pakistan have proposed a |
| highest and best form of efficiency is the | | | | transmission line among their states. Calling it a |
| spontaneous cooperation of a free people." Where | | | | "win-win situation", the Krgryz Energy Minister |
| is the evidence of spontaneous cooperation in our | | | | Liaquat Ali Jatoi stated "we want to bring benefits |
| world today? Historically, it seems that the cause | | | | to the common man because if there is economic |
| of war -- Pearl Harbor, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait | | | | activity and prosperity, it will be shared by the |
| and September 11th -- will catalyze a society and | | | | people of these countries." Moreover, all 10 |
| nations to cooperate. Must we have our backs to | | | | nations of the Association of Southeast Asian |
| the wall, or is it possible for a compelling vision to | | | | Nations (ASEAN) have pledged to interconnect |
| create spontaneous cooperation? | | | | the grids of its members. |
| The Critical Question | | | | In Africa, NEPAD (New African Partnership for |
| In 1969, Dr. R Buckminster Fuller (most well | | | | Development) and the African Development Bank |
| known for geodesic domes and Buckyballs) | | | | are supporting the Kenya - Ethiopia agreement to |
| developed a World Game simulation to explore | | | | supply power to each other. Modeled after the 12 |
| global resources and trends. It posed the critical | | | | nation South African Power Pool, 14 ECOWAS |
| question, "how do we make the world work for | | | | (Economic Community of West African States) |
| 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time | | | | nations are planning to link their energy grids. |
| through spontaneous cooperation without | | | | The Middle East has seen an wave of integration. |
| ecological damage or disadvantage of anyone?" In | | | | Lebanon will be linked to the regional electricity |
| other words, how do we provide a decent living | | | | grid that includes Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Turkey |
| standard for everyone in an environmentally | | | | as of the beginning of next year. This |
| sustainable way? The part about "through | | | | interconnection project also involves the joining of |
| spontaneous cooperation" always remained a | | | | Libya and Iraq. Last month, former enemies Iran |
| puzzle to me. How does positive change happen | | | | and Iraq agreed to build four cross-border power |
| spontaneously on a global scale? | | | | lines to transfer 1000 MW of power. |
| The premier strategy of Fuller's global simulation | | | | Mexico's Mesoamerica Initiative plans to integrate |
| was the interconnection of electric power grids | | | | the energy grids all Central American nations. The |
| between regions and nations with an emphasis on | | | | World Bank and the US DOE are partnering with |
| tapping abundant renewable energy resources | | | | the Central American Integration Secretariat to |
| around the world. Electricity provides the | | | | encourage clean energy development, emphasizing |
| foundation of our modern society, and power | | | | renewables over fossil fuel projects. |
| grids act as freeways that deliver the electricity | | | | Most of these projects have been planned by |
| to power our homes, businesses and industry. | | | | engineers for years. The economic benefits -- load |
| During the 20th Century, transmission lines | | | | leveling, reliability of supply, emergency backup -- |
| delivered electricity from large, centralized plants | | | | are all proven. Yet international transmission |
| that burned fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Today, | | | | requires agreement between ministries of energy |
| developers of wind, solar and geothermal | | | | and state, financial institutions, local utilities and |
| resources in remote locations are plugging into | | | | property owners. Cooperation must overcome |
| these expanding grid systems -- decentralizing | | | | the combined barriers of multiple stakeholders. |
| power production while increasing grid integration. | | | | Emergence through emergency |
| But spontaneous cooperation? Hardly. Any project | | | | So what's happened in the world to cause these |
| developer will tell you all the hurdles they face due | | | | nations to work together? Buckminster Fuller said |
| to regulations, interconnection and siting issues. In | | | | that society will often "emerge through |
| the energy industry, the time lag between project | | | | emergency" -- because when times are good, any |
| proposal to actual commissioning can be 10 - 20 | | | | change at all is difficult. For many developing |
| years. | | | | nations the challenge is dire: 1.6 billion people have |
| Yet quietly -- below the radar of most observers | | | | no electrical services - no refrigeration of food or |
| -- Fuller's vision of using power lines to link nations | | | | medicine, clean water or lighting. For the rest of |
| across borders has recently been energized at a | | | | us, scientific consensus on climate change clearly |
| pace never seen before. | | | | places the cause on our 'addiction to oil' for |
| Nations are linking up | | | | transportation, and burning coal and natural gas |
| In the past few months, Russia and China agreed | | | | for power production. |
| to large-scale power grid interconnections that will | | | | Today, half the nations on the planet are linked |
| benefit both economies. Additionally, the Chinese | | | | with a neighbor, but half remain electric energy |
| have signed deals with Tajikistan and Vietnam to | | | | islands. The emergencies of our time: poverty, |
| build transmission lines across their respective | | | | climate change, peace and population growth are |
| borders. The South Koreans have offered to | | | | in our face daily. These issues and their solutions |
| extend their grid into North Korea and modernize | | | | transcend political boundaries. National leaders are |
| the North Korean network as a part of the | | | | seeing the benefits of mutual interdependence |
| negotiations to scrap the North's nuclear program. | | | | over trying to go it alone. |
| In Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, | | | | |