Coal Is The New Bridge Fuel

The US is expected to experience above-average temperatures this summer, which will put a strain on the country's power grids, potentially leading to blackouts and brownouts. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation has warned that the Midcontinent Independent System Operator is the regional grid most likely to experience a meltdown this summer. This warning was proven correct when over 100,000 customers in New Orleans lost power due to electricity demand exceeding supply. The strain on power grids is due to a projected 50% increase in electricity demand over the next 10 years, driven by investments in server farms, artificial intelligence, and manufacturing activity. At the same time, construction of new base-load power plants has plummeted, with wind and solar accounting for most of the new installed generation in recent years. However, these power sources are intermittent, which can lead to blackouts, as seen in New Orleans and the Iberian Peninsula. To address this issue, it is critical to keep the nation's remaining coal plants online, as they provide a reliable source of power. Since 2010, 300 coal-fired power plants have been closed, reducing coal's share of generation from 45% to 16% nationwide. The Trump administration has taken steps to enhance power grid reliability by keeping coal plants online, but environmentalists remain committed to shutting down the remaining coal fleet. The importance of coal in the near term is clear, as it can help manage the transition to a more reliable and resilient energy future while new base-load resources are being built.