The U.S. Department of Energy puts it bluntly: the secure and reliable delivery of energy is crucial for national security, and it depends on uninterrupted infrastructure and supply chains. The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov
A lot of energy conversations stop at production: drill more, build more, add more solar, add more nuclear.
That’s only half the story.
Because even if you can generate cheap power, you still have to move it. And moving it is getting expensive, slow, and politically painful. That’s why more people and companies are looking at a simple answer:
“I’ll do it myself.”
Not to leave the grid, but to reduce exposure to it.
1) On supply, the U.S. is stronger than most people think
The U.S. has been a net total energy exporter since 2019, and in 2023 it exported a record ~29.50 quads, with exports exceeding imports by ~7.80 quads. U.S. Energy Information Administration
A quick visual:
U.S. total energy exports vs imports (2023)
Exports: ██████████████████████ 29.50 quads U.S. Energy Information Administration
Net export margin: ██████ 7.80 quads U.S. Energy Information Administration
So the “we don’t have energy” story is often wrong.
The real constraint is increasingly: delivery + reliability under stress.
2) Cheap generation doesn’t save you from expensive transmission and distribution
Here’s the data point that changes the conversation:
Berkeley Lab found that distribution is the largest source of utility capital spending and made up 44% of total utility CapEx in 2023. Distribution CapEx also grew 50% from 2019–2023. Energy Markets & Planning
What utilities are spending on (2023 CapEx share)
- Distribution: ████████████████ 44% Energy Markets & Planning
- Everything else (generation, transmission, other): ████████████████████ 56% Energy Markets & Planning
This is why the “we’ll just make energy cheaper” argument doesn’t fully land. Wires and local infrastructure are a giant part of the bill.
3) This is where “I’ll do it myself” starts making economic sense
When delivery costs rise and reliability feels shakier, smart operators start buying options:
- backup generation
- batteries
- rooftop solar
- load controls (especially EV charging, HVAC, industrial processes)
- microgrids for campuses and critical facilities
This isn’t a personality trait. It’s a response to incentives.
If you’re a hospital, data center, manufacturer, or even a homeowner in a high-rate territory, the question becomes:
Is it cheaper to keep paying for grid upgrades… or to reduce how much I need the grid at the worst times?
4) The “largest utility” idea: millions of small systems coordinated
A grid where a lot of customers “do it themselves” can go one of two ways:
- Messy: everyone adds stuff that helps them, but creates headaches for the system
- Useful: the system coordinates all those devices so they act like a real power resource
The “useful” version is called a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).
DOE’s VPP Liftoff analysis says the U.S. may need to add enough capacity to meet 200+ GW of peak demand by 2030, and that deploying 80–160 GW of VPPs by 2030 could reduce overall grid costs by $10B per year. The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov+1
That’s not a niche idea. That’s a national-scale planning number.
5) The policy that makes this real (not theoretical)
FERC Order 2222’s purpose is to enable distributed energy resources (DERs) to participate in wholesale electricity markets, typically through aggregation. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Translation: the system is slowly being redesigned so that:
- a bunch of small batteries and flexible loads can act like one big resource
- participants can get paid for helping the grid, not just consuming from it
A simple table: why a “distributed utility” could grow fast
| What’s happening | Why it drives “DIY power” | What VPPs change |
| Rising distribution investment | Local grid upgrades show up in rates Energy Markets & Planning | Some upgrades can be deferred by reducing peaks The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov |
| Load is growing (data centers, electrification) | More strain, more spending | VPPs are fast to deploy compared to big builds The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov |
| Market rules are evolving | More tech behind the meter | Order 2222 opens market participation Federal Energy Regulatory Commission |
What to do today (practical, not philosophical)
If you build or invest in energy
- Track wires spending, not just generation headlines. Distribution is already the biggest CapEx bucket. Energy Markets & Planning
- Treat VPPs as competition and as a partner. DOE is calling for 80–160 GW by 2030 for a reason. The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov+1
- Follow Order 2222 implementation. It’s the on-ramp for aggregated distributed assets into real markets. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
If you’re a large power user (industrial, data centers, campuses)
- Do a peak audit: identify the top 10 “peak hours” drivers (it’s often a few controllable loads).
- Get a straight answer to: “What’s the local constraint feeding my site?” (feeder/substation capacity drives pain).
- Evaluate optionality: battery + controls is often a reliability product as much as an energy product.
If you’re a homeowner:
- If you add solar/battery, prioritize equipment that can join programs (that’s how you get paid to help the grid, not just self-consume). Federal Energy Regulatory Commission+1
Bottom line
Energy security is not just “do we have enough fuel.” It’s whether we can deliver power reliably and affordably under stress. DOE makes that connection explicit. The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov
The U.S. can produce a lot of energy and export it. U.S. Energy Information Administration
But distribution costs are rising fast, and the system is searching for faster capacity solutions. Energy Markets & Planning+1
That’s why “do it myself” keeps spreading, and why the biggest utility in the future might look less like one company and more like millions of coordinated assets.
