Wednesday, December 4, 2024

EPA Limits Could Spell Electricity Shortages in Much of US

Posted By Peter Coyne | 2023-05-19 07:54:43

Severe, long-lasting heatwaves could cause electricity shortages in up to two-thirds of North America this summer.

  • Current electric generation capacity is sufficient for normal summer weather; however, sudden temperature spikes, high fossil plant outage rates, and low renewable output could trigger emergency power interruptions.

Key factors: Wind output in MISO and SPP, two of the country’s largest regional transmission organizations, will be crucial for maintaining electricity reliability.

  • The assessment also points to natural gas and coal supply risks and the EPA’s new “Good Neighbor Plan” rule, which may limit operational hours for coal plants.

What it means: The EPA rule could shut down 90% of fossil fuel power plants if they can’t comply with new emission standards… and green energy and carbon capture tech is not advancing enough to replace them.

Click here to read more details.