I had seen the AP article yesterday. The reason to do this is to accommodate the fluctuations in the grid when solar panels and pinwheels suddenly stop. The less backup you have results in more fluctuations in frequency.
This is basically remaking the power grid to accommodate the deficiencies of alternative production from wind and solar.
Probably very true. I read this yesterday and I was wondering what had changed to make this suddenly "necessary." Unreliable alternative production would certainly explain it.