Global Energy Independence Day Date in the current year: July 10, 2024

It is impossible to imagine the modern world without electricity. Over 80% of primary energy consumption in the world is from fossil fuels — natural gas, oil, and coal. They are used to generate electricity and to power engines, as well as burned to generate heat for direct use such as heating or cooking.

Fossil fuels have been important to human development throughout history, but they have a number of significant drawbacks. Firstly, they take millions of years to form and therefore are considered non-renewable. We deplete fossil fuel reserves at an alarming rate, and new ones won’t be generated in the foreseeable future.

Secondly, fossil fuels omit carbon dioxide and toxic gases when they are burned, contributing to global warming and air pollution. Thirdly, some countries that are major fossil fuel exporters use it as a geopolitical leverage. There’s even a phenomenon called the resource curse that affects certain countries with an abundance of natural resources under certain conditions. Countries affected by the resource curse tend to have less economic growth and lower levels of democracy.

The need to mitigate climate change and achieve energy security and independence has resulted in the process known as energy transition. Its ultimate goal is to replace fossil fuels with sustainable energy sources in heating, transport, and other sectors. Renewable energy sources include solar energy, wind power, hydropower, bioenergy, and geothermal energy.

Some of these renewable energy sources have been known and used for decades, but their development has been hindered by fossil fuels lobbies. Luckily, the situation has changed over the past few years, and renewable energy is becoming more and more competitive with fossil fuels.

Global Energy Independence Day was created in 2006 by Micheal D. Antonovich, an American politician and the then mayor of the Los Angeles County and member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. He chose the date of July 10 to commemorate the birthday of Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor and engineer best known for his experiments with alternating current that helped shape the modern AC electricity supply system.

On Global Energy Independence Day, renewable energy organizations host various events, ranging from seminars and workshops to online campaigns, in order to raise awareness of renewable energy and the importance of energy independence among the general public. It is the perfect occasion to learn more about alternative energy sources and figure out how you personally can be more energy efficient.

The observance of Global Energy Independence Day was especially poignant in 2022 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which demonstrated the urgent need to stop relying on Russian energy, develop more sustainable energy markets, and encourage the use of renewable energy.