grid reliability

08May

EPA’s Regulatory Blitz Collides with Hyperscale Power Demand

“You never like to have to sue, but we’re going to do what we have to do to defend our grid and our customers that use that grid,” Ben Fowke, American Electric Power (AEP) interim president, CEO and director, said during a recent earnings call. Facing surging power demand, AEP – which serves 5 million […]
01May

The Biden-EPA’s Alternate Reality

While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to brush aside deep alarm over the grid reliability impacts of its new blitz of power plant rules, evidence is rapidly mounting that the nation’s supply of electricity is already in deep, deep trouble. In the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) market, which covers much of the […]
25Apr

EPA Doubles Down on the Grid Reliability Crisis

Today, the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) unleashed a suite of rules specifically designed to force the closure of well-operating coal plants and they did so with absolutely no analysis of the collective impact of these rules on the nation’s alarmingly shaky grid reliability. “For the last three years, the administration has methodically developed […]
17Apr

The Grid Braces for EPA’s Blitz of Rules

With news leaking that as many as four of EPA’s rules targeting the coal fleet will be finalized next week, including the so-called Clean Power Plan 2.0, EPA is delivering a cumulative and decisive blow to the nation’s grid reliability it has refused to acknowledge or analyze in its rulemakings. While EPA has downplayed the […]
11Apr

New Paper: EPA’s Grid Crisis Collides with Surging Power Demand

The National Mining Association (NMA) has released a new paper on the collision of soaring power demand with rapidly eroding grid reliability driven by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulatory agenda. This is a familiar story to readers of this blog, but this new white paper connects some important dots on the interconnected challenges […]
27Mar

Where is the Power Going to Come From?

It is becoming inarguably clear the U.S. is in for a surge in electricity demand. The Biden EPA just finalized its tailpipe rule and by 2032, 70% of new cars will run primarily on electricity. New semiconductor and battery manufacturing plants are connecting to the grid with power demands that rival small cities. Add in […]
20Mar

Missing the Heart of the Story

Over the past few weeks, both The Washington Post and The New York Times have discovered the sudden reemergence of soaring electricity demand and its collision with the nation’s teetering supply of power. The Post feature, which ran on the front page the morning of the State of the Union, was dramatically titled, “Amid explosive […]
06Mar

Mr. President: Listen to Americans on Energy Policy

With the State of the Union address now here and energy policy likely to have a significant role in the President’s agenda, it’s valuable to understand what Americans actually want from the nation’s energy policy. As new national polling released from the National Mining Association (NMA) and conducted by Maru Public Opinion makes clear, Americans […]
01Mar

EPA Misses the Point on Grid Reliability

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has picked a winner in the energy markets and, in doing so, the American people will undoubtedly be the losers. Yesterday, the news broke that existing natural gas power plants will be exempted from the so-called Clean Power Plan 2.0. While EPA claims that a new comprehensive rule on […]
28Feb

During Bitter Cold Coal Comes to the Rescue Again

When the polar vortex slammed much of the country in January, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) member Mark Christie spoke up about the irreplaceable role dispatchable capacity, namely coal and gas, played in keeping the lights and heat on when power demand peaked. Now, a new report from Energy Ventures Analysis (EVA) goes deeper into […]