A fearful economy cries for industry leadership.
Michael T. Burr is Fortnightly’s editor-in-chief. Email him at burr@pur.com.
Three years ago, when we were about to go to press with our October 2008 issue, the bottom fell out of the financial markets. At the last minute, I had to scrap the cover story I had written, call my sources back, and write a new article—“The Path Forward.”
Now, as I write this on Sept. 22, 2011, the stock markets are tumbling. They’ve had their worst week since 2008, and I can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu.
Although I’m not rewriting anything this time, some part of me thinks I should just re-run my October 2008 Frontlines column, “A Time to Lead.”
In that editorial, I called upon utilities to lead the way out of America’s economic crisis, by accelerating investments in modern infrastructure: “America’s utilities have begun gradually transforming themselves into something smarter and more efficient. Now the financial crisis calls our utility executives and policymakers to exert leadership, and escalate the industry’s transformation.”