EPA’s War On Coal Puts US At Risk Of Brownouts And Blackouts

Anyone surprised?

(Fox News) Facing the Obama administration’s so-called “war on coal,” some utility officials are warning that fewer coal-fired power plants could leave the U.S. power system vulnerable to blackouts in the near future.

The officials warn that intense summer heat or extreme winter cold could soon be too much for the system to handle.

“I worry about the potential of brownouts and blackouts if we’re … actually depending on this generation that’s going to be retired,” Nick Akins, from American Electric Power, told Fox News in an interview.

“Regulation from five years ago is closing about 20 percent of the coal plants. Regulations being proposed now could close an additional 20 percent of coal plants. And that creates huge stresses — we’re just not ready for anything like that in this country,” Mike Duncan, from the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, told Fox News.

I’ll note once again that I’m not a big fan of coal, which is not entirely clean, and can be bad for environmental health (I’m not referring to “climate change”, but real environmental issues). Nor do I buy into clean coal. At this time, there power generation has not been replaced, and solar and wind are still non-viable alternatives.

Obviously, Gina McCarthy’s out of control EPA, along with Gina herself, say there’s nothing to worry about, and

“Nothing we do can threaten reliability. We have to recognize that in a changing climate like the one we have recently been experiencing, it is an increasing challenge to maintain a reliable energy supply,” McCarthy said.

That’s right, she blames any grid issues on “climate change”. Aren’t you glad the person in charge of your electricity supply is insane?

Still, considering this past winter’s severe cold and “Polar Vortex,” Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski noted at a Senate hearing this week that the system was at its limits.

“Eight-nine percent of the coal electricity capacity that is due to go offline was utilized as that backup to meet the demand this winter,” Murkowski said.

This is the danger of having radical activists with an axe to grind in charge of any government agency, much less the EPA: they aren’t really worried about the overall impacts of their foolish, deranged, and irrational rules and regulations. With the coal rules, they’re worried about the fictional issue of Man causing changes to the climate 50-100 years down the road, despite all their models failing, rather than about the need for Americans to have the energy needed for a modern society.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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12 Responses to “EPA’s War On Coal Puts US At Risk Of Brownouts And Blackouts”

  1. Jeffery says:

    A coal industry lobbyist on FOX News says that reducing coal use will hurt America. I bet a natural gas lobbyist would disagree.

    Coal use was leveling off in the 2000s, and dropped about 12% during the Great Recession. How did “Obama’s War on Coal” start before he was elected?

    Teach typed: “At this time, there (sic) power generation has not been replaced, and solar and wind are still non-viable alternatives.”

    Coal-generated electricity has dropped 250 billion kilowatt/hours since 2005. During that same period natural gas generated electricity has increased 250 billion kilowatt/hours and renewables another 150 billion kilowatt/hours. Wind power has replaced nearly 50% of the lost coal power. Natural gas has replaced 100%.

    http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/showtext.cfm?t=ptb0802a

    But please note that my data source is the US Energy Information Administration who may be part of the world wide conspiracy to demonize carbon dioxide.

  2. John says:

    Well I am sure that if Mike Duncan from the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity said so we shouldn’t question his statement, or look any further into it

  3. John says:

    Hey wait a minute !!! Didn’t I read some plague that the reason. That coal fired plants are closing is because so many are now coming to the end of their 50 year service life ?? And that financing new ones is problematical because insurance ( necessary for and billion dollar bond issue) is concerned about health risks that might be blamed on coal all the way to 2065 ??
    I mean who wants a power plant with a service life of 50 years only to have to shut it down early ???

  4. […] The Pirate’s Cove pointed out that EPA chief Gina McCarthy is saying any reliability problems would be due to climate change, rather then the policies she is implementing. […]

  5. […] Obama said that under his regime, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. He never mentioned that his war on coal would result in blackouts. Well, get ready for rolling blackouts because of Obama’s war on coal. […]

  6. jl says:

    Then I take from your post that you’re for fracking, J? Good. “Well, I’m sure that if Mike Duncan from the ACCE said we shouldn’t question his statement, we should look no further. Well, is that sorta like “If Gina McCarthy of the EPA says something”, then we shouldn’t question her statements, either? I thought so.

  7. jl says:

    J-“Wind power has replaced nearly 50% of coal power..” As usual, that, if true, is only part of the story. I could replace coal power, too, if I were receiving hundreds of millions of government (tax payer) subsidies. If wind power is so good, why does the industry come to congress each time their gravy train is about to run out to ask for more money? That’s because it’s not a viable alternative as a stand alone industry. It’s not nearly as efficient as coal or natural gas.

  8. Jeffery says:

    j,

    Nice change of subject. Teach falsely claimed that we’re looking at blackouts and brownouts because we’re losing coal capacity. The evidence shows that Teach’s claim is false.

    You counter with some irrelevant and fuzzy claims that wind energy is subsidized. So what? So are fossil fuels.

    I did not make a judgment about the quality of natural gas, wind or coal – I was just correcting Teach’s falsehood. Remember, one lie at a time.

    I didn’t offer an opinion on fracking.

  9. gitarcarver says:

    The evidence shows that Teach’s claim is false.

    Really?

    Tell the British and the Germans that. They went heavy on wind power and are still suffering from brown outs and blackouts to the point where the Germans are building new coal plants.

    In short, the evidence is there, but you won’t look at it because it contradicts your position.

    Oh, and just to be clear, because there is a shortage of energy in those countries and the price has risen so dramatically, people were starting to burn wood and everything else to keep warm in the winter. Ironic isn’t it? The so called “green energy” actually increased the very greenhouse gases people wanted to reduce.

    You counter with some irrelevant and fuzzy claims that wind energy is subsidized. So what? So are fossil fuels.

    Not to the extent that wind energy is subsidized. It isn’t even close.

    Fossil fuels can exist without the small subsidy from the government. “Green” energy cannot exist without government intervention into the market.

    Remember, one lie at a time.

    That is going to be difficult because you tell so many lies it is difficult for people with ethics to keep up with all of the lies you and john tell.

  10. Jeffery says:

    One lie at a time. Teach wasn’t typing about Europe, he was typing about the US. There is no evidence, zero, zip, nada… that we expect brownout/ blackouts because of less coal powered energy. Gas and wind have more than made up for the loss of coal.

    Fossil fuels receive the biggest subsidy of all. Taxpayers and human suffering are paying the true costs of CO2 based global warming.

    Fracking and Europe and subsidies, oh my!

    Can’t we kill one right-wing zombie lie at a time? (I know, I know… you can’t kill a zombie – they reappear a week later – Rule 2, Double Tap)

  11. jl says:

    J-Didn’t change the subject at all. “Wind power is subsidized. So are fossil fuels.” Not true. Fossil fuels are not subsidized. Go to your Websters and look up the definition of “subsidy”. What fossil fuel companies receive are tax breaks- the same tax breaks thousands of other companies receive. The same kind of tax breaks you receive on your mortgage or for having children. A tax break is a tax break- it lets you keep more of the money you’ve already earned. What the wind companies and other inefficient green groups receive are subsidies, which mean the government gives them money before they’re even a viable, tax paying company. And usually, most can’t survive without them. Two totally different things. So, the only thing fuzzy and irrelevant was your response.

  12. gitarcarver says:

    There is no evidence, zero, zip, nada… that we expect brownout/ blackouts because of less coal powered energy.

    I just want to make sure that I understand your point. Are you really trying to say that following the same path that European countries followed and resulted in blackouts and brownouts is not evidence that the same thing is likely to occur here?

    That may be the dumbest thing you have ever said and that is saying a great deal.

    Even so, you are still wrong when it comes to the US:

    The surplus generating capacity doesn’t guarantee steady power flow. Even though California has a lot of plants, it doesn’t have the right mix: Many of the solar and wind sources added in recent years have actually made the system more fragile, because they provide power intermittently.

    Electricity systems need some surplus, so they can cover unexpected generator outages or transmission-line failures, but having too much can depress the prices generators can charge for electricity. In part because of low power prices, many gas-fired generation units aren’t profitable enough to justify refurbishments required by pending federal regulations under the Clean Water Act. That means they are likely to be shut by 2020, adding to the state’s power woes.

    And in case you weren’t aware, last year in Maryland and Florida, there were rolling blackouts.

    So much for your claim of “zero evidence.”

    Gas and wind have more than made up for the loss of coal.

    Ah. You claim that Teach wasn’t talking about Europe, but he also wasn’t talking about natural gas either. So here again we see you changing the subject while attempting to condemn others for staying on point.

    Taxpayers and human suffering are paying the true costs of CO2 based global warming.

    The only “human suffering” we see is having to deal with science deniers like yourself. The incessant whine and falsehoods coming from your mouth causes unnecessary pain and agony to the people who actually have a brain.

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