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S.O.S for the U.S. Electric Grid
WSJ ^ | Feb. 26, 2023 | Editorial Board

Posted on 03/10/2023 4:42:33 AM PST by george76

PJM Interconnection sounds the latest alarm that fossil-fuel plants are shutting down without adequate replacement power. The political class yawns.

...

The warnings keep coming that the force-fed energy transition to renewable fuels is destabilizing the U.S. electric grid, but is anyone in government paying attention?

...

The PJM report forecasts power supply and demand through 2030 across the 13 eastern states in its territory covering 65 million people. ... Fossil-fuel power plants are retiring much faster than renewable sources are getting developed, which could lead to energy “imbalances.” That’s a delicate way of saying that you can expect shortages and blackouts.

PJM typically generates a surplus of power owing to its large fossil-fuel fleet, which it exports to neighboring grids in the Midwest and Northeast. When wind power plunged in the Midwest and central states late last week, PJM helped fill the gap between supply and demand and kept the lights on.

That’s why it’s especially worrisome that PJM is predicting a large decline in its power reserves as coal and natural-gas plants retire. The report forecasts that 40,000 megawatts (MW) of power generation—enough to light up 30 million households—are at risk of retiring by 2030, representing about 21% of PJM’s current generation capacity.

...

Most projected power-plant retirements are “policy-driven,”

...

ESG (environmental, social and governance) commitments are driving coal plants to close

...

There’s another problem: Demand for electric power will increase amid the growth in data centers and the government’s push for the electrification of vehicles, heating and everything else

...

The left’s green-energy transition is incompatible with a growing economy and improving living standards. Renewables don’t provide reliable power 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the progressive campaign to shut down coal and gas plants that do will invariably result in outages.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New Jersey; US: New York; US: Pennsylvania; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: coal; coalplants; dei; die; electric; electriccosts; electricgrid; energy; energycosts; energyschadenfreude; environmental; esg; fossilfuel; governance; grid; heatingcosts; renewable; social; waroncoal
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To: Tell It Right

What EV did you end up getting?


41 posted on 03/10/2023 7:37:11 AM PST by BipolarBob (The rumor has not been confirmed until the FBI officially denies it.)
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To: Skwor
You and I are in agreement. Not everybody can do it. It's as I said in my original comment: "I suggest to anyone who loves freedom and it's possible to make most of your own energy..."
42 posted on 03/10/2023 7:39:08 AM PST by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: Tell It Right

Also note “ heat pump with heat strips for the few times in the winter it gets too cold hear for the heat pump.” A heat pump is not a viable solution for anyone in the northeast.

One of the main criticisms of solar is just that, it is not viable in many climates where the actual need for electricity is a life or death need. Unless of course we expect everyone to live like Eskimos?


43 posted on 03/10/2023 7:41:21 AM PST by Skwor
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To: Tell It Right

Ahh, ok gotcha :)


44 posted on 03/10/2023 7:41:54 AM PST by Skwor
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To: BipolarBob
I got a 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited RWD.

For details on how to make it integrate well into a home solar system, see comment 38. If you don't do something like that, an EV could be more trouble than it's worth. Especially if it's your only car. One nice thing about being married is we need two cars anyway. Thus we have an EV car and an ICE pickup to have the best of both worlds. The EV helps us save on gas and be somewhat energy independent with our solar system (at least with local driving). The ICE pickup fills in the gaps an EV can't do like trips through charging deserts or pull a trailer a long distance.

45 posted on 03/10/2023 7:42:22 AM PST by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: Tell It Right

When you add it all up, it seems reasonable, very reasonable to state........ you are the future


46 posted on 03/10/2023 7:46:18 AM PST by bert ( (KWE. NP. N.C. +12) Juneteenth is inequality day )
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To: bert
Thanks, but there are lots of variables that have to work right. I.e. live in the southern half of the U.S. where we get lots of sun and most of our power consumption is cooling the house (most of which happens during the day when we have sun, and more A/C needed in the summer when we have even more sun). Have a place on your land or roof with no shade where you can point solar panels to the south. If on the roof then it's probably best to have a metal roof since the solar panels are liable to have 25-year warranty and you don't want to move the panels to routinely replace a shingle roof. Plus you need to plan to live there at least 10 years to recoup the cost. If I was to sell my house now I'd get some extra for the solar and other improvements, but probably not as much as I put into it. Probably around the 8 year mark would the extra value added to the home + energy savings offset cost.

Last but not least is interest rate timing. If interest rates keep going up then my strategy wouldn't be worth it if you're unable to finance it like I did with a 3.5% fixed interest rate on the HELOC I took out to pay for almost all of it. My breakeven point is 12 years to include paying interest. That assumes a 3% inflation rate on costs both incurred and avoided. If the Dims get their way and make energy costs rise a lot more then my system pays for itself a lot sooner.

Either way my wife is really pleased with it every time she reads about energy costs going up or brownouts. Especially when a brownout recently hit close to home with the TVA brownout over Christmas. (We're not on TVA power, but that's in part of Alabama and we thought we'd never see it that close.)

47 posted on 03/10/2023 8:04:24 AM PST by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: george76

And watch over the next few years as the left demands that TX join the federal interconnects “to protect it’s citizens” when in reality all they want is access to the surplus generated here most the time


48 posted on 03/10/2023 8:07:02 AM PST by Manuel OKelley
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To: george76

We need look no further than Texas and soon California for what is in store for the electric grid nationally. Texas touts that nearly 20% of its electric power comes from windmills and yet has seen major blackouts lasting for days when temperatures fall and demand for power increases.


49 posted on 03/10/2023 8:12:22 AM PST by The Great RJ
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To: The Great RJ

The windmills and solar panels can not keep up... never will work for base load - 24/7 - demand .

The tyrants know it, too - as they want working Americans to freeze in the dark.


50 posted on 03/10/2023 9:13:49 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76; 4everontheRight; 4Liberty; 5thGenTexan; 45semi; 101stAirborneVet; 300winmag; ...
Prepper Ping - Electrical Supply to 13 Eastern States, population of 65 Million power supply at risk
This is just another man-made issue generated by policy makers and by government
Expect probable brown-outs and rolling blackouts because there are inadequate power generating replacements

(From the article):" PJM Interconnection sounds the latest alarm that fossil-fuel plants are shutting down without adequate replacement power.
The political class yawns.
The warnings keep coming that the force-fed energy transition to renewable fuels is destabilizing the U.S. electric grid,
but is anyone in government paying attention? "

"The PJM report forecasts power supply and demand through 2030 across the 13 eastern states in its territory covering 65 million people.
... Fossil-fuel power plants are retiring much faster than renewable sources are getting developed, which could lead to energy “imbalances.”
That’s a delicate way of saying that you can expect shortages and blackouts."

"PJM typically generates a surplus of power owing to its large fossil-fuel fleet, which it exports to neighboring grids in the Midwest and Northeast.
When wind power plunged in the Midwest and central states late last week,
PJM helped fill the gap between supply and demand and kept the lights on."

"That’s why it’s especially worrisome that PJM is predicting a large decline in its power reserves as coal and natural-gas plants retire.
The report forecasts that 40,000 megawatts (MW) of power generation—enough to light up 30 million households—are at risk of retiring by 2030,
representing about 21% of PJM’s current generation capacity."

"There’s another problem: Demand for electric power will increase amid the growth in data centers
and the government’s push for the electrification of vehicles, heating and everything else "

"The left’s green-energy transition is incompatible with a growing economy and improving living standards.
Renewables don’t provide reliable power 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the progressive campaign to shut down coal and gas plants that do will invariably result in outages."

51 posted on 03/10/2023 11:24:37 AM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: MtnClimber

I’m sure smart metering will assist with this.


52 posted on 03/10/2023 1:17:25 PM PST by Obadiah
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To: george76

A classic Cloward/Piven gambit.


53 posted on 03/10/2023 1:28:56 PM PST by Nachoman (Proudly oppressing people of color since 1957.)
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To: BobL

“So, time to buy generators, everyone!!!”

What makes you think you will be able to find fuel for them?


54 posted on 03/10/2023 1:37:43 PM PST by Nik Naym (It's not my fault... I have compulsive smart-ass disorder. )
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To: alloysteel

wholesale adoption of Very Small Nuclear Reactor power plants

Just where are you getting your information?

In my opinion based on what I see in the “news”. There is no such thing as a working model of a VSNR PP.

https://www.protocol.com/bulletins/nuscale-smr-approval-nuclear-power

As an example, the NRC less than a year ago certified the plans for such a power plant. First plans ever approved, much less an operational plant which could be fifty years down the road based on the actions of the NRC.

An example everyone might have on their mind would be the US Navy who has basically run such in the Nuclear Navy for years, but those plants are not just removable from submarines and approved for land base power generation.

The worst case scenario, would be government foot dragging based on the historic ESG and environmental insanity we are witnessing today. Who in their right mind is going to spend billions on an actual plant using the only certified plan in hopes it well receive approval?

There is more. Much more.


55 posted on 03/11/2023 3:45:52 AM PST by wita (Under oath since 1966 in defense of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness)
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To: alloysteel

In your defense, I think you have also nailed it below.

Of course, total collapse of the economy is also the way to destroy capitalism forever, and that may be the real objective.


56 posted on 03/11/2023 3:50:23 AM PST by wita (Under oath since 1966 in defense of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness)
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To: george76

I predict a lot of lamppost decorations


57 posted on 03/11/2023 11:22:01 PM PST by waterhill (All you need is a Catahoula and an 870)
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To: grcuster
"A couple of weeks ago Glenn Beck had a UTAH state rep talking about this in his state as well and has begun to introduce legislation to put the brakes on these changes in his state."

I heard that...it was good.

It strengthened my desire to hoard more propane for my generator.

58 posted on 03/12/2023 11:09:51 AM PDT by blam
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