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American families and businesses rightly expect the lights to stay on at an affordable price. Our national energy policy must embrace this fundamental promise – or so you think.
Unfortunately, our country is currently facing a harsh reality. We are rapidly approaching the point where there will not be enough power.
Rigorous reliability evaluation
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is the nation’s power grid watchdog. Over the years, the organization has released a series of increasingly damning reports warning that threats to the reliability of the power grid are growing and that more frequent rolling blackouts could soon become the norm.
Biden administration calls for increased electric vehicle infrastructure
Rolling blackouts occurred in nine states at the end of 2022 as electricity demand exceeded supply during the frigid period. In its 2023-2024 winter reliability assessment, NERC warned that half of the country faces similar risks in extreme weather this winter.
According to Duke Energy, the Oconee nuclear power plant is one of the largest nuclear power plants in the country, with three nuclear reactors. (Duke Energy)
Looking further into the future, the situation becomes even more dire. Over the next five years, NERC predicts all or parts of 19 states, from Montana to Louisiana, will be at high risk of rolling blackouts during normal peak periods. And most regions of the country face similar risks when electricity demand spikes during times of extreme heat or cold.
Is this what America is supposed to be like? The answer is clearly no.
How we got here
Keeping the lights on is not a partisan issue. But politics and energy policy have had a huge impact on how we got here. The current state of Japan’s energy policy regarding electricity can be summarized easily. It means “achieving more with less energy.”
That’s not possible. From data centers to electric vehicles, from heating and cooling homes to running farms, our nation is increasingly reliant on electricity to power our economy. This trend will increase dramatically in the coming years.
And contrary to the increase in electricity demand, supply is showing an alarming decline as our country shuts down existing power plants that are constantly available to comply with various federal and state regulations. . PJM, the mid-Atlantic power grid operator, recently announced that 25 gigawatts of power generation, enough to power nearly 19 million homes in the region, will soon be shut down due to short-sighted state and federal policies. I predicted it would be.
The final challenge to meeting our nation’s energy needs is the arcane set of rules and regulations required to build anything in this country. The siting, permitting, and construction process for infrastructure, from solar farms to pipelines to power lines, is mired in red tape and years of litigation.
More threats are coming
These trends are not likely to improve further in the coming years. The EPA recently proposed rules that would overhaul the way always-on power plants operate, requiring them to install carbon capture technology or run on clean hydrogen within seven years.
This proposal is illegal because it violates the Clean Air Act by requiring the implementation of cost-prohibitive technology that is not well-proven, unfeasible, and prohibitive. Additionally, this proposal would directly lead to further power outages, increased costs, and uncertainty for the United States. That’s a dangerous approach to regulation.
Solar panels line the roof of Harmony House as part of a project by Solar Holler of Huntington, West Virginia. (Scholten Singer/Herald, via AP, File)
And the story of this administration’s disregard for the importance of reliable power doesn’t end there.
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In November, the Biden administration signed a secret agreement that set the stage for breaching four dams on the Lower Snake River. This backroom deal jeopardizes reliable power for millions of Americans living in the Pacific Northwest. It also reveals a misguided desire to undermine our nation’s vital portfolio of carbon-free hydropower resources without considering cost.
antidote to the problem
We have to have serious policy conversations in this country about where we are going and what it will realistically take to get there. Politicians cannot afford to overlook the laws of physics and the reality of the current situation.
Adding more renewable resources to the country’s energy portfolio could be part of the solution. But because the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine, our country also needs a strong supply of energy resources that are always available and needed at all times.
Keeping the lights on is not a partisan issue. But politics and energy policy have had a huge impact on how we got here. The current state of Japan’s energy policy regarding electricity can be summarized easily. It means “achieving more with less energy.”
Long-term solutions will require policymakers to recognize the need for time, technology development, and new transmission infrastructure. These are essential elements of an energy future that prioritizes reliable power for all consumers.
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Strengthening the grid is possible, but it will require greater coordination among stakeholders, visibility into electricity demand growth, and federal and local policies that encourage the development of new generation and transmission.
Keeping the lights on is critical to America’s economy and national security. The stakes are too high to get this wrong.
