The federal grid reliability watchdog issued a dire report last week that warned of a potentially severe electric generation shortage this summer. That is, we may not have enough electricity to serve everyone if there are any weather extremes, fuel shortages, or equipment failure. Mainly, these problems are likely in the Midwest, Texas, and the west (California).
It's no coincidence that these are the places where a lot of renewable energy generators (wind and solar) have been built in recent years. The cause of that is political goals, availability of "cheap" land, and federal tax incentive windfalls for the companies who construct them.
This coming shortage of electricity should come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog. I've been talking about it for years as government subsidies for renewable generators effectively price baseload generators, that can run when called because they can simply add fuel and generate when the need arises, out of the market. Renewables are intermittent resources, they only run when mother nature supplies their fuel. She's a fickle mistress.
It's no coincidence that these are the places where a lot of renewable energy generators (wind and solar) have been built in recent years. The cause of that is political goals, availability of "cheap" land, and federal tax incentive windfalls for the companies who construct them.
This coming shortage of electricity should come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog. I've been talking about it for years as government subsidies for renewable generators effectively price baseload generators, that can run when called because they can simply add fuel and generate when the need arises, out of the market. Renewables are intermittent resources, they only run when mother nature supplies their fuel. She's a fickle mistress.
The problem spilled over into a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission monthly meeting last week when staff presented a report on summer grid performance. At the new, politicized FERC disagreements cropped up. Commission Chairman Glick blamed the problem on extreme weather caused by climate change and suggested that we all need to adjust to "the new normal."
The growing threat of power outages fueled by extreme weather calls for new approaches to grid oversight, the head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said yesterday, adding that utilities and grid operators should “think differently.”
In the face of droughts and heat waves worsened by climate change, the commission must advance new policies to modernize power markets, build more transmission lines and safeguard energy infrastructure, said FERC Chair Richard Glick. Regulators, energy providers and others also need to adjust to the “new normal” as extreme weather events become more common, according to Glick.
“The old way doesn’t work anymore. We need to figure out a new approach, a much more reliable approach, and that’s what we’re trying to do here at FERC,” he said.
His "new normal" includes fewer baseload generators and more intermittent renewables. Instead of recognizing the real problem, he chooses to blame the weather for creating shortages. The weather hasn't been a problem, until just recently, so his approach makes no sense at all. Relying on transmission to solve the problem is no solution at all. The report pointed to one shortage being caused by a transmission line that has been out of service for months due to tornado damage. Building more transmission in tornado alley is hardly a solution to this problem, unless it is built underground, perhaps on existing highway or railroad rights of way. However, FERC has chosen to ignore new technology that can accomplish this, complaining that it's "too expensive." How expensive will that one transmission outage be when it causes blackouts? It would have been cheaper to bury it in the first place so that this outage never occurred. The report also highlighted above-ground transmission causing wildfires in the west, as well as transmission lines that were blocked by wildfires and couldn't deliver energy. More transmission is not the solution.
Chairman Glick got push back from a couple of other Commissioners, who made a lot more sense.
Chairman Glick got push back from a couple of other Commissioners, who made a lot more sense.
While Glick, a Democrat, said the FERC report underscored the need for more transmission lines and changes in U.S. power markets, Republican commissioners highlighted how retiring fossil fuel power plants may be exacerbating reliability challenges.
The Midwestern grid region, for example, is at a “high risk” of power shortfalls due to a decline in generation capacity this year relative to last year. Power shortfalls could occur during extreme temperatures, during periods of low wind power or in the event of generation outages in the coming months, FERC staff said in a presentation on the findings.
The staff analysis showcased the need for more natural gas infrastructure to support generators, and for regulators to address state energy policies that are “reliability-impairing,” said Republican Commissioner James Danly. He also questioned whether more investments in the electric transmission system would solve the reliability challenges.
“There is, in the minds of some, an idea that as long as we get the transmission issue correct, everything else will eventually solve itself. I am simply a skeptic,” Danly said.
Me too, Commissioner! It is simply unrealistic to believe that we can power our country reliably with intermittent renewables in far off places that would depend on above-ground transmission lines hundreds or thousands of miles long that would deliver the power to urban areas. It's simply fantasy... an equation that only works on paper.
But it was Commissioner Christie who succinctly nailed the problem with today's double time march toward zero carbon.
But it was Commissioner Christie who succinctly nailed the problem with today's double time march toward zero carbon.
“There is clear, objective, conclusive data indicating that the pace of our grid transformation is out of sync with the underlying realities and physics of our system,” Christie said.
That's it, exactly. The forced closure of baseload plants is ignoring the fact that we don't have the right technology to replace them.
Many years ago, I opined that we shouldn't allow a bunch of environmentalist policy wonks to plan our electricity supply because they did not have the working knowledge to do so, simply a desire to meet their impossible goals. Keeping the lights on and keeping power affordable is simply not one of them.
Plunging headlong into a carbon-free energy future without the resources to support it is simply foolish!
Many years ago, I opined that we shouldn't allow a bunch of environmentalist policy wonks to plan our electricity supply because they did not have the working knowledge to do so, simply a desire to meet their impossible goals. Keeping the lights on and keeping power affordable is simply not one of them.
Plunging headlong into a carbon-free energy future without the resources to support it is simply foolish!
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