Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy yesterday released its “Report on Evaluating U.S. Grid Reliability and Security,” which concluded that blackouts in the U.S. could increase by 100 times in 2030 due to the shutdown of coal plants and other essential sources of dispatchable power. In response, America’s Power president and CEO Michelle Bloodworth released the following statement:
“This report from the Department of Energy is further proof that the premature retirement of coal plants is putting the reliability of the U.S. electricity grid at risk. The Department of Energy’s report concludes that the aggressive regulatory agenda pursued under previous administrations would leave millions of American homes and businesses more vulnerable to blackouts because baseload power sources like coal are being replaced by less reliable sources like wind and solar. These renewables are not capable of meeting the constant 24/7 electricity demands required for AI, data centers, and other advanced technologies.
“Grid reliability is expected to deteriorate in all regions of the country. According to the report, 104,000 MW of plant retirements by 2030 are scheduled to be replaced by 209,000 MW of new generation, but only 22,000 MW of that new generation will come from reliable dispatchable generation sources. This means that as much as 300,000 MW or more of wind and solar would have to be added within the next five years in order to have a dependable grid.
“This aggressive retirement of coal plants is happening too quickly and will leave America without dependable replacement power. This will damage the American economy, harm our national security, and undermine our ability to compete with nations like China.
“Fortunately, the Trump administration has been acting swiftly to reverse these dangerous policies that are forcing coal plants to retire prematurely. The Department of Energy’s report is a stark reminder of the urgency of these challenges, and we look forward to continuing to work with the administration in addressing them.”