Essay of the Winner of the Contest, Mykyta Klochko
The energy security of the state means, in fact, much more for each of us than it first appears. Its components include protection against destruction, availability of particular sources of energy from other states, and the energy behavior of each consumer. I want to tell you how I gained insights into this issue and its role in my life.
My name is Mykyta Klochko and I am 15. I was born and raised in Chernihiv but relocated with my family to Ivano-Frankivsk last fall. My mom, dad, minor sister, and I stayed for more than one month in an occupation in a country house near Chernihiv. For the first time in my life, the people closest to me and I suffered from a complete lack of electricity. By February 25, 2022, no power supply was on for lighting, communication, and heat. We were forced to continuously heat the premises with the fireplace, which was unsuitable for heating our residence. We could not relocate because of mined roads and fear of occupants. Every day, except for a continuous fear of life and fear of the future – there was a taste of smoke and burning. I started choking and had to stay outside for half of the night. During those hours, I had enough time to think about energy independence and realized that having a separate individual power supply source, at least a solar panel would be great.
I have been closely following the news about targeted attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities. Having felt all the implications of no energy supplies, my family continuously monitors our household’s energy consumption. It includes using electrical appliances at night to avoid congestion of the networks, utilizing electrical appliances only when needed, using only LED bulbs, and operating a generator in case of power cuts. We are also considering installing a solar panel with a battery on the roof of our building.
Besides that, I have decided to become a power engineer. After I complete the Lyceum, I would like to enter a university to study a profession that will enhance Ukraine’s energy security. Strengthening energy security is now a duty of each Ukrainian! Reduce consumption in peak hours, and use renewable energy sources in your household. Each of us must take all possible actions to restore the energy infrastructure!