What 2050 Looks Like When It’s Your Child’s Future
As others in the energy space know, 2050 has long served as a ‘far-off’ yet crucial frontier. For decades, it has seemed like every goal was tied to mid-century: phasing out fossil fuels, solving climate change, and even building a lunar grid.
It’s the mythical future date that’s been circled on the calendar ever since I studied energy systems and entered the workforce in 2011. Back then, the big questions looked different: We were planning for (now commonplace) smart grid tech, while large-load discussions centered on EVs (rather than the data centers that dominate industry headlines today).
But as I sit here today, 2050 suddenly doesn’t feel as far off. Why is that?
Well, duh, 2050 is literally closer. When I graduated, 2050 was 39 years away (to a 22-year-old, that is forever). But today, mid-century is only 24 years away, which is far more tangible. I can remember what I was up to 24 years ago (even if that was Pokemon cards and middle school dances).
But the other major change that inspired this piece: the birth of my first child, expected in mere days. When talking about existential energy challenges, we often invoke the idea of future generations: Will they have fusion? How will they feel the impacts of climate change? But something changes when it gets personal. I’m thinking about the future through the lens of my own child and manifesting a thriving, survivable planet to pass on to him, so what was already urgent immediately feels even more so.
Generational Leaps
When we found out my wife was pregnant, my thinking about energy definitely shifted. For one, my typical insistence of going easy on the thermostat (perhaps the dad tendencies have always been in me) gave way to blasting the AC as low as she wanted to provide comfort and relief—even if our power bill suffered for it.
But I’m more so talking about the big-picture thinking. On Power Perspectives earlier this year, Silvio Marcacci of Energy Innovation Policy & Technology shared a view that’s stuck with me:
“When I first got into this line of work, I thought, wow, I’m going to be the generation that solves climate change. And as I’ve progressed, I realize that I’m just a link in the chain. I want the legacy of my career to be enabling the next generation of folks working on climate change to succeed and help them carry on the mission.”
But what about the next next generation—the one I’m about to raise (along with my millennial peers)?