Essay of the Winner of the Contest, Danylo Burlai
With the beginning of a full-scale invasion, critical infrastructure facilities became targets of deliberately targeted enemy fire. Electric substations burned like torches, transformers blazed like bonfires, and main power lines were torn like threads. It was then that we all felt how vital energy security is.
You can use different meanings of the terms to reveal the concept of “energy security,” but I will answer this question differently: “Ukraine is a living organism. Energy security is a prerequisite for the life and functioning of this organism. This security is a pulse, a heartbeat. Energy flows through the veins of this organism – the arteries of energy networks – which enables our economy to stay afloat despite the war.”
Strengthening Ukraine’s energy security is essential for our country and for each of us personally. It is like climbing a mountain together, where everyone’s role and participation is vital. For Ukraine, the issue of energy security is a matter of survival and independence, ensuring the operation of enterprises and their further development.
For me, the country’s energy security is also my personal protection, a shield in the darkest hour, light and warmth for my family. My role in strengthening Ukraine’s energy security consists, first of all, in understanding the importance of energy stability. I am a conscious consumer of energy. I turn off appliances I do not use, and with my family, we work on introducing energy-efficient technologies at home. Strengthening Ukraine’s energy security through self-conscious consumption is my input and my input in favor of fellow citizens.