Wall Street Journal

10Nov

Coal’s Importance is Clearer than Ever

It’s a good thing for American energy consumers that John Kerry doesn’t set domestic energy policy. While he believes the U.S. won’t be using coal by 2030, coal is proving just how essential it remains to the nation’s energy security as well as the reliability and the affordability of our energy supply Not only are […]
13Oct

A Responsible Energy Transition Can’t Mean Energy Shocks

The word “transition” suggests a measured, thoughtful change, not a jump cut. That’s why the energy “transition” proposed in the reconciliation package doesn’t feel like a transition at all. It’s an upending of the nation’s energy mix and the jobs that support millions of families. As the global energy crisis deepens, it’s increasingly clear that […]
22Sep

Europe’s Energy Crisis is all the Warning We Need

The past few weeks have seen Europe drift into an energy crisis of its own making – a perfect storm of bad policy. As wind generation has collapsed across Europe, overreliance on natural gas as a bridge fuel and backstop to renewable intermittency has come home to roost. Tight natural gas supplies, soaring prices and […]
15Sep

CEPP: Accelerating the Grid Reliability Crisis

Senator Joe Manchin made the rounds on the Sunday talk shows this past weekend, making it clear he can’t get behind House Democrats’ proposed Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP), which would throw $150 billion at utilities to accelerate the pivot to renewable energy. Manchin told Chuck Todd, the plan “makes no sense at all.” He […]
01Sep

Reshaping the U.S. Electricity Mix by 2030 is Full of Potential Pitfalls – Just ask European Consumers

Proposing to upend the nation’s electricity mix and do it at warp speed is policy that at the very least deserves transparent discussion and requires extensive planning. Tucked into the reconciliation package is just such a proposal. The Clean Electricity Payment Program will throw vast sums at utilities to transform their generating fleets and do […]
14Jul

In a Transitioning Grid, Fuel Diversity Matters More than Ever

Grid reliability challenges this summer – from California and the Pacific Northwest to New York – are a clear signal we must better value the insurance provided by a balanced generation mix. But scorching heat aside, February’s catastrophe in Texas, that left 70% of the state without power, continues to sound some of the loudest […]
16Jun

The Texas Grid is Failing Again

Summer hasn’t even officially started but the Texas grid is already facing another electricity reliability crisis. Warning of potentially inadequate generating capacity, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is once again begging Texans to reduce electricity use. Texans have every right to worry that the grid may not hold up this summer. This week’s […]
17Mar

The Existing Coal Fleet Is the Bridge We Need

With the energy transition underway, learning from the Texas grid crisis and building a path towards increased reliability is more urgent than ever. Additional variable power will be coming to grids across the country. At what pace and scale remains to be seen but ensuring reliability in the years ahead is shaping up to be […]
03Mar

Dispatchable Fuel Diversity is Invaluable 

Does fuel diversity matter? Or, to put a finer point on it, does dispatchable fuel diversity matter? If February taught us anything, the answer is a resounding yes. Along with the Texas grid disaster, there were two neighboring grids pushed to the brink by the same unrelenting cold but both fared much better. The Southwest […]
01Oct

Preparing for an Electrified Future

The electrification of America is not only happening, it’s picking up speed. Just last week, Tesla announced its ambition to slash the cost of lithium-ion batteries and produce a $25,000 mass-market electric vehicle (EV). Two days later Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California will mandate a shift to EVs and the phase out of internal […]