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Top power grid watchdog warns fossil fuel shutdowns could destabilize future reliability

Assessment 'paints another grim picture of our nation’s energy future,' power industry group says

By Thomas Catenacci FOX Business

Phasing out fossil fuels is an ‘insane goal’: Marc Morano

Climate Depot executive editor Marc Morano discusses worldwide calls to phase out fossil fuels and Al Gore blaming the mental health crisis on climate change.

A lead watchdog group that oversees and monitors the U.S. power grid issued a warning Wednesday that the nation may soon face considerable reliability issues due to premature retirements of existing fossil fuel power sources.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) — a nonprofit organization that makes periodic recommendations to boost reliability — published its annual Long-Term Reliability Assessment (LTRA) report which concluded that large swaths of the U.S. face either an elevated or high risk of capacity shortfalls. NERC noted that premature retirements, or power plant shutdowns that occur before replacement power comes online, are a leading factor in determining future reliability issues.

"The electric power industry continues to face challenges in the future. A rapidly changing resource mix, a threat landscape, extreme weather, inverter-based resources," John Moura, NERC's director of reliability assessment and performance analysis, told reporters Wednesday on a media call.

"But really focusing in on reliability, managing the pace of a rapidly-changing resource mix, which includes not only making sure you don't retire prematurely, but also that we're building enough resources and making sure they're dispatchable really continues to be our greatest reliability risk in the future," Moura added.

US GRID OPERATORS WARN BIDEN'S POWER PLANT CRACKDOWN COULD TRIGGER 'SIGNIFICANT POWER SHORTAGES'

California windmills and power lines

A view of windmills and power lines in Tracy, California, on Aug. 17, 2022. (Reuters/Carlos Barria / Reuters Photos)

The LTRA report highlighted how the region managed by Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which oversees much of the Midwest, faces some of the highest grid risks as a result of coal generation retirements that are projected to outpace new green energy development at certain points in the future.

"Demand is forecast to increase and that's happening faster than their transitioning — their resource mix is growing. They have plans to retire about five gigawatts of coal-fired generation and replace that with natural gas-fired resources, also solar and some batteries," said Mark Olson, NERC's manager of reliability assessments. "But what we see is there are periods where, during this transition, they have capacity shortfalls."

In addition, the West, including California, and the Northeast, including New York, are regions facing elevated risk, while the remainder of the East Coast is facing normal risk heading into 2024.

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION RIGGED INTERNAL ANALYSIS, SOFTENING BLOW OF POWER PLANT REGULATIONS: REPORT

The report, meanwhile, comes as the Biden administration and several states continue to push for an aggressive transition from fossil fuel power generation to green energy sources like wind and solar.

In May, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled regulations targeting fossil fuel-fired power plant emissions, which grid operators have warned could exacerbate future reliability problems. In its announcement, the federal agency said the plan "would avoid" 617 million metric tons of carbon pollution through 2042 via new standards forcing plants to either utilize carbon capture technology or shut down.

Emissions spew from a large stack at the coal-fired Brandon Shores Power Plant in Baltimore on March 9, 2018.

According to the agency's analysis, the proposal would force U.S. electric generation derived by coal plants without carbon capture to decline 67% by 2030 and 100% by 2035, while coal plants with carbon capture will increase 29% and 13%, respectively, the analysis also showed.

WHITE HOUSE ECO COUNCIL AT ODDS OVER TECHNOLOGY CENTRAL TO BIDEN'S GREEN GOALS

"We commend NERC for its work to maintain a reliable supply of electricity," Michelle Bloodworth, the president and CEO of coal trade group America's Power, said Wednesday in a statement. "Unfortunately, NERC’s latest assessment is deeply troubling because it indicates that, despite several years of warnings about the possibility of electricity shortages in many parts of the country, the risk of electricity shortages has grown worse."

"This is largely due to coal retirements, EPA policies, and dangerous subsidies for unreliable sources of energy," she continued. "We again urge Congress and federal and state policymakers to act immediately on these continued warnings."

Michael Regan

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 3. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Getty Images)

And Jim Matheson, the CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which represents 900 local electric cooperatives nationwide, added that the report Wednesday was the latest to paint a "grim picture" for the future of the nation's power grid.

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"NERC’s latest assessment paints another grim picture of our nation’s energy future as demand for electricity soars and the supply of always-available generation declines," Matheson said in a statement.

"Nine states saw rolling blackouts last December as the demand for electricity exceeded available supply," he said. "And proposals like the EPA’s power plant rule will greatly compound the problem. Absent a major shift in state and federal energy policy, this is the reality we will face for years to come."

---

Lawmakers are calling on Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to hand over information about a key agency appointee, citing her record as an energy industry lobbyist as recently as the first quarter of this year.

Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) sent a letter to Pruitt on Tuesday, challenging his appointment of Elizabeth "Tate" Bennett as deputy associate administrator of EPA's Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations. In that role, Bennett is the agency's primary point person and liaison with Congress and state governments.

The senators cited President Donald Trump's executive order on ethics, writing: "Because of her activities as a registered federal lobbyist she cannot work on legislation, communicate with Congress, or coordinate and monitor regional, state and local responses to a wide-range of major issues faced by EPA."

Bennett worked for two years as a lobbyist for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which represents more than 900 customer-owned rural utilities. The association, whose members have been historically reliant on coal, has pushed heavily against emissions-cutting regulations, including the Clean Power Plan.

The senators say that Bennett's appointment violates Trump's executive order on ethics, which says appointees can't "participate in the specific issue area" for which they lobbied in the two years prior to their appointment. Trump issued the order during his second week in office, following up on his oft-repeated campaign pledge to "drain the swamp." Previous presidents had similar ethics orders.

The EPA and Bennett's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The letter points out that the association spent $5.3 million on lobbying during Bennett's tenure, and that she "specifically lobbied on a broad set of EPA matters, including EPA's Clean Power Plan and New Source Performance Standard, Clean Water Rule, ozone standard, EPA enforcement, pesticides bills, budget resolutions, and appropriations bills."

Prior to her position at the rural utilities association, Bennett was an energy and agriculture aid to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

The appointment is the latest in a series of lobbying-related ethics problems facing Trump appointees. Critics of Pruitt have questioned his deep ties to fossil fuel companies, including his leadership in the Koch brothers-funded Rule of Law Defense Fund, which lobbied heavily against environmental regulations.

Late last month, the director of the Office of Government Ethics challenged the Trump administration's granting of waivers that exempt appointees from the president's ethics pledge. On April 28, Walter M. Shaub, Jr., who was appointed to head the office by President Barack Obama in 2013, sent a request asking every executive branch to provide him a copy of any waivers by June 1.

Whitehouse and Merkley are asking for information about Bennett by June 2, including any waivers she may have signed, a signed copy of her ethics pledge and her "Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report."

PUBLISHED UNDER:

POLITICS

REGULATION

EPA

SCOTT PRUITT

DONALD TRUMP

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pres quit congress to run rural electric (coal); missouri , husb died 1 yr   emerson

mobilized ~ clean power whitfield taxpayer prot 2015

The Cooperative Action Network is the grassroots arm of the NRECA - the national service organization for more than 900 not-for-profit rural electric cooperatives that provide electricity to more than 42 million consumers across 47 states. Together, rural electric cooperatives serve 75 percent of the nation's landmass and account for approximately 12 percent of total electricity sales in the United States.

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bunch of happiness on bills on ash:  ARLINGTON, VA.)— National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) CEO Jo Ann Emerson thanked Rep. David McKinley for his leadership on the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015, which passed the House today.

“We appreciate Congressman McKinley’s leadership in bringing this bill to the House floor. This bipartisan approach will solidify the non-hazardous designation and enable reliable state implementation and enforcement. The state permits authorized by this bill fully protect groundwater and the environment while minimizing needless litigation,” said Emerson. “It also offers a predictable business environment for the safe and effective reuse of materials that can help strengthen our national roadways and other infrastructure.”

Through state permits the legislation implements the standards for safe disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) finalized last year by the Environmental Protection Agency and codifies the designation of CCR as non-hazardous. It also prevents the EPA from revisiting the question of whether CCR is non-hazardous every three years, creating a certainty that encourages continued beneficial reuse of the material.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million people in 47 states.

apri; 2015

nonprofit co-op card: gina mc

...For 45 minutes at EPA’s Washington, D.C., headquarters, the CEOs underscored how consumers who own electric co-ops would be substantially harmed by higher energy costs resulting from the Clean Power Plan rule.

“Our ongoing effort is to continue to raise particular concerns co-ops have about EPA’s rule and have co-op leaders speak face-to-face with the EPA administrator,” said NRECA CEO Jo Ann Emerson following the April 14 meeting.

“We appreciate Administrator McCarthy listening to our concerns and receiving our input,” said Mel Coleman, NRECA board president and CEO of North Arkansas Electric Cooperative in Salem.

“As not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperatives, we are charged with providing reliable, affordable electricity to some of the poorest areas in the nation. We take this responsibility very seriously and always work as advocates for our members.”

Under the rule, a large portion of coal-based generation that co-ops rely on would be shut down before their debt is paid off, the co-op officials said. The CEOs emphasized that these costs, forecast to be in the billions of dollars, would hit members hard.

“If we have stranded assets, our members end up having to pay twice for the energy they need: payment on the debt for plants that prematurely closed and replacement generation,” said Lisa Johnson, CEO and general manager of Seminole Electric Cooperative of Tampa, Fla.

Florida would lose more than 90 percent of its coal-based power plants, including the Seminole Generating Station, to meet EPA’s interim target in 2020, she said.

In Arizona, all coal-based generation not located on Indian lands would be shuttered to meet EPA’s rule, said Patrick Ledger, CEO of Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. of Benson.

“Any impact of this rule is going to be borne by our members that we serve,” he said.

The proposed rule sets carbon dioxide budgets for each state, which must develop plans by 2016 to meet interim targets beginning in 2020. All reductions must be made by 2030. EPA said it will issue a final rule this summer.

Timing is Big Concern

Co-ops and NRECA have been urging EPA to withdraw the rule. Absent that, they want the agency to eliminate its interim goal, increase compliance flexibility, and insert a “dynamic reliability safety valve” to address threats to electric service.

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Intracerebral bleeds are the second most common cause of stroke, accounting for 10% of hospital admissions for stroke.[4] High blood pressure raises the risks of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage by two to six times. age 64

brain hermorhage aug 2015 italy; Emerson became NRECA CEO in March 2013, following the retirement of Glenn English. She had been the House member from Missouri’s 8th Congressional District, first winning election in November 1996.

A native of Bethesda, Md., and graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, Emerson had earlier served in executive capacities at the American Insurance Association, the National Restaurant Association, and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

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2/14

Jo Ann Emerson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, reacted to the testimony of Energy Deputy Assistant Secretary for Clean Coal Dr. S. Julio Friedmann’s comment that requiring carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) would increase wholesale electricity prices 70 to 80 percent on first generation coal plants and 40 percent on second generation plants. The rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for new power plants essentially requires CCS for new coal plants.

“This cost increase is unconscionable but not surprising. In light of the Administration confirming our deepest concerns about the cost impact of the proposed regulation on new power plants, the rule should be immediately withdrawn and reconsidered. It is unjustifiable for the EPA to push through regulations that rely on technology that would eliminate the domestic and reliable option of coal in the future,” Emerson said.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million people in 47 states.

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The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)maintains a strong lobbying presence in Washington. Rural Electric Cooperatives (RECs) receive 80 percent of their power from coal, significantly above the national average of 50 percent.[1]

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http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Rural_Electric_Cooperative_Association

Contents[hide]

Articles and resources

References

  1. ↑ Steven Mufson, "Government Suspends Lending for Coal Plants," Washington Post, March 13, 2008

Related SourceWatch articles

External resources

External articles

Categories: Coal Issues | Energy | Climate change | Stubs | Rural electric cooperatives in the United States

Rural electric cooperatives (RECs), which receive funding support from the federal Rural Utilities Service, play a major role both in the proposed expansion of coal-fired electrical generating capacity, and in the lobbying and publicity efforts that promote the buildout. RECs receive 80 percent of their power from coal, significantly above the national average of 50 percent.[1]

Contents[hide]

Existing Coal Plants

Currently, RECs own and operate about 44,000 megawatts (MW) of total generating capacity, most of which is coal-fired.[2] Collectively, they represent nearly 5 percent of the country’s total generating capacity.

Between 2001 and 2008, the Rural Utilities Service loaned $1.3 billion for new coal plants.[3]

Proposed Coal Plants

Since 2000, the RECs have proposed a number of coal plants. As of the Spring of 2012, the list included the following:

Operating or in Construction

Active Proposals

Cancelled or On-Hold Proposals

Cobb EMC Controversy

In October 2007, several members of Georgia's Cobb EMC filed suit against the cooperative’s board members. The suit alleged “gross mismanagement, breach of fiduciary duty, self-enrichment and a waste of corporate assets, related to the relationship between Cobb EMC and Cobb Energy.” Cobb Energy was created in 1997 as a for-profit entity and would be responsible for the day-to-day operations of Cobb EMC after Cobb Energy and Cobb EMC signed a 40-year operating contract. The contract allowed Cobb Energy to sign an 11 percent markup for running Cobb EMC. The plaintiffs argued that Cobb EMC board members were moving millions of dollars in EMC money to Cobb Energy. Judge Stephen Schuster of the Cobb County Superior Court heard arguments in the case and in December 2008, after nearly 14 months of litigation, a settlement agreement between the two parties was reached, however Cobb EMC board was not following through with the order to make board elections more democratic. The plaintiffs appealed the case to the Georgia Court of Appeals, and on April 14, 2010, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled unanimously in favor of the plaintiffs finding that the bylaw changes focusing on elections and proxy voting were in violation of the 2008 settlement agreement between the plaintiffs and Cobb EMC.[4]

In April 2009, the Cobb County district attorney's office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) executed a search warrant related to possible theft and racketeering among Cobb EMC CEO Dwight Brown and board members including Larry Chadwick, David McGinnis and Frank Boone. GBI agents confiscated files from Cobb EMC headquarters and the personal residences of several board members. The results of this investigation are not yet known. In addition, in November 2009 attorney Charles Gabriel filed a class action lawsuit against Cobb EMC seeking $300 million plaintiffs argue Cobb EMC owes its members.[4]

Rejection of Highwood Station Loan

In February, 2008, the RUS told Southern Montana Electric Generation and Transmission Cooperative that it would not provide financing for the Highwood Generating Station. The RUS cited rising construction costs and the lack of demand for the plant's power.[5]

Suspension of Rural Utilities Service Financing

In February, 2008, the Rural Utilities Service suspended financing to coal plants.[6]

In the letter to Representative Henry Waxman announcing the suspension, RUS Administrator James Andrew wrote that the suspension would continue "until the Agency and OMB develop a subsidy rate sufficient to cover the risks associated with the construction of new generating plants."[7]

At the time of the suspension, the RUS was considering applications for loans totalling $1.2 billion, of which three were for RECs involved in minority shares of the privately-funded plants:

These projects are seeking alternate sources of financing, including loans from the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC). CFC loans are typically at higher interest rates than RUS loans. East Texas Electric Cooperative has also filed a federal lawsuit against the RUS over the financing moratorium.[9]

Structure of the Rural Electric System

The rural electric system consists of about 900 distribution coops, which maintain local powerlines, and several dozen generation and transmission coops (G&Ts), which operate power plants. Both distribution coops and G&Ts operate as non-profits and enjoy tax-exempt status. In most states, their rates are exempt from oversight by utility regulators.

The rural electric system receives financing assistance from the Rural Utilities System (RUS), a division of the Department of Agriculture formerly known as the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). That assistance consists of loans and loan guarantees.

Colorado rural electric cooperative pushing efficiency over coal

Delta Montrose Electric Association in Colorado is a standout rural electric cooperative in terms of its prioritization of efficiency over coal. DMEA has established a goal to be the leader in efficiency among the nation's cooperatives, including becoming the benchmark in "environmentally feasible projects and distributive energy technology." DMEA has also set a goal of attaining a 10 percent share of its territory's heating and air conditioning market by 2010 by promoting energy efficient technologies. In addition, DMEA aims to deliver energy savings to its customers by 2010 that are equivalent to 25 percent of its 2000 electricity sales revenue. [10]

East Kentucky Power Cooperative cancels Smith Plant, calls for renewables and energy efficiency

On Nov. 18, 2010, the East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) entered into an agreement with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Kentucky Environmental Foundation, the Sierra Club, three individual co-op members, the Kentucky attorney general, and Gallatin Steel (EKPC’s biggest industrial customer) to halt plans for EKPC's proposed Smith Station by abandoning the permits needed to proceed with construction. The cooperative also committed $125,000 toward a collaborative effort in which the public interest groups, EKPC and member co-ops will work together to evaluate and recommend new energy efficiency programs and renewable energy options.[11]

According to Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, "a number of factors contributed to the decision to not to move forward with the proposed plants, including lower than expected demand for electricity, a moratorium imposed by the Bush Administration on low-cost federal loans for coal-burning power plants, and sharply rising costs associated with building and operating new coal plants. In June 2010, the Public Service Commission opened an investigation to determine if proceeding with the $819 million project was cost-effective and necessary. Studies commissioned by the public interest groups participating in this agreement concluded that a combination of clean energy technologies would be a cost-effective way to meet EKPC’s demand, while also reducing financial risk to customers, generating jobs throughout the region, and benefiting health and the environment."[11]

Political Muscle and Orientation

Several factors combine to give the REC system considerable clout at both state and federal levels:

Touchstone Energy

Touchstone Energy Cooperatives is a national alliance of over 640 rural electric cooperatives in 46 states. Collectively, Touchstone’s 30 million customers make it by far the largest utility in the United States, with over $97 billion in generation, transmission, and distribution assets. As a functional matter, Touchstone does not operate as a single financial or electrical dispatching entity. However, it does promote a unified brand for rural electric cooperatives and a coherent advertising program. In political matters, Touchstone appears to defer to the NRECA and to the various state rural electric associations.[12]

Support for Climate Skeptics

In June, 2006, Stanley R. Lewandowski, Jr., General Manager of Intermountain Rural Electric Association (IREA) in Colorado, wrote to fellow REC members urging opposition to a carbon tax or a cap and trade program. Lewandowski reported that IREA has donated $100,000 to Dr. Patrick Michaels, a leading global warming skeptic.[13]

REC reform and activist groups

In February 2010 a new co-op reform organization called Co-opConversationsUSA.org launched a website that will serve as a public education tool for groups around the country. A press release on the issue notes, "One of the initial goals of the national effort will be to showcase models of a ‘Member Bill of Rights’ that all local cooperatives can adapt to help ensure members full access and transparency to their co-op. The ‘Member Bill of Rights’ will be one of the initial actions that reform members can introduce to their co-op board of directors."

Resources

References

  1. ↑ Steven Mufson, "Government Suspends Lending for Coal Plants," Washington Post, March 13, 2008
  2. ↑ Petr Nye, “Time to Build” Rural Electric, May 2006.
  3. ↑ Letter from James M. Andrew to Representative Henry Waxman, received March 11, 2008 (PDF file)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Background" Take Back Cobb EMC, accessed October 2010.
  5. ↑ Steven Mufson, "Government Suspends Lending for Coal Plants," Washington Post, March 13, 2008
  6. ↑ Steven Mufson, "Government Suspends Lending for Coal Plants," Washington Post, March 13, 2008
  7. ↑ Letter from James M. Andrew to Representative Henry Waxman, received March 11, 2008 (PDF file)
  8. ↑ Letter from James M. Andrew to Representative Henry Waxman, received March 11, 2008 (PDF file)
  9. ↑ "Loss of federal loan fails to derail four other coal-fired power plants," Great Falls Tribune, October 19, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Core Values and Vision," DMEA, accessed September 2009.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Coalition of ratepayers and public interest groups reach accord with EKPC" Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, Nov. 18, 2010 Press Release.
  12. ↑ Touchstone Energy Cooperatives website accessed March 2008.
  13. ↑ David Epstein “Helping a Climate Skeptic”, Inside Higher Education, July 31, 2006.

Related SourceWatch Articles

External Resources

Categories: Climate change | Coal Issues | Energy | Rural electric cooperatives in the United States

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