Technologies are described herein for reserving energy at network nodes within a wireless network and establishing energy threshold levels within the network nodes to suspend or maintain certain operational states as supported by time varying energy levels. Energy within the network node can be reserved for processing a critical message in response to receiving a reservation request. An energy level threshold for a network node within a wireless network can be adjusted in response to receiving a reservation request. Message transmission can be enabled in response to the monitored energy level being above the energy level threshold. Message transmission may be suspended in response to the monitored energy level being below the energy level threshold.