12Jan

US Energy Official Says ‘War on Coal’ Has Put Nation at Risk

Via The Atlantic Council: US Deputy Secretary of Energy, Dan Brouillette, on January 13 lashed out at what he described as the “war on coal” in the United States which, he said, had thwarted the construction of clean power plants, discouraged investments in new mining operations, and, as a result, put the nation at risk. […]
09Jan

NMA President and CEO Responding to FERC Grid Resilience Announcement

“Today’s disappointing lack of action from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) follows a week in which the value of coal to Americans could not have been more clearly illustrated.” “With a surge in demand, coal was the leading electricity supplier in many of the markets subjected to the deep freeze, providing a critical measure […]
08Jan

Where’s the Crisis?

January 8, 2018 “There was no crisis, so no need for FERC action” goes the mantra last week from renewable fuel advocates. The roof didn’t fall in, the gun wasn’t loaded, the rope didn’t snap, so go back to sleep. This is the head-in-the-sand logic of complacent dogmatists. The implication is that nothing less than […]
08Jan

National View: Energy Favoritism is Clear in all the Hype for Renewables

Via The Duluth News Tribune: Energy favoritism now has become a bonafide topic of conversation in Washington, D.C. Where else but in our nation’s capital could energy subsidies and government intervention become a heated topic at New Year’s parties? But it has, energized by two potentially significant events breaking simultaneously. First are the federal tax […]
05Jan

Can America’s Power Grid Withstand a Brutal Winter?

Via The Washington Examiner: Maybe you have to live in the Northeast — or even Southeast United States — to get the full effect. But right now, much of the country is struggling through brutally cold weather. It’s not uncommon to see temperatures down in the teens across much of the South. And record sub-zero […]
05Jan

Cold Snap Arrives at Key Moment for Coal, Nuclear Power

Via The Hill: The coal and nuclear industries are pointing to the cold snap sweeping the eastern United States as Exhibit A for why the federal government should help their power plants. Those industries and their allies hope that the record-setting winter weather will give a boost to a proposal from Energy Secretary Rick Perrythat would […]
05Jan

Winter Storm to Test Northeast Grid as FERC Tees Up Decision on DOE Grid Rule

Via Utility Dive: Frigid conditions in the Northeast U.S. are stepping up demands on the power grid as federal regulators prepare to act on a controversial coal and nuclear subsidy rule from the Trump administration. Meteorologists expect Winter Storm Grayson to bring heavy snow, winds and coastal flooding to New England and the Eastern seaboard […]
04Jan

Deep Freeze in U.S. Creates Heating Squeeze for Homeowners and Utilities

Via The New York Times: Homeowners, businesses and utilities across much of the United States were keeping a close watch on fuel supplies Wednesday as a record-setting cold snap caused demand for heating oil and natural gas to soar. With heating units in homes and commercial buildings running furiously to fend off the deep freeze, […]
04Jan

America’s Power Grid Shows Signs of Strain Amid Deep Freeze

Via The Seattle Times: America’s power grid is starting to show signs of fatigue as the nation grapples with a record-breaking cold snap. In the Midwest, some natural-gas plants are having trouble getting supplies, forcing outages and increased use of fuel oil, Dustin Smith, a spokesman for the Southwest Power Pool, said on Tuesday. Some […]
04Jan

Coal, Oil Get a Boost from Northern Cold Snap

Via Utility Dive: Brutal cold weather across portions of the country is altering the power mix for some electric grids, with oil leading over gas in ISO New England and coal doing the same in PJM. Despite the cold, there have not been any difficulties in continuing to supply fuel to power plants or electricity to […]